Will o' the Wisp
by Narsha
Summary: There's something wrong with the Uchiha Massacre. I should have been dead, yet I'm alive, scarred and dreaming in black and red. Sasuke-Chan should have been dead yet he's alive. Itachi-Sama is guilty. I thought he wanted peace like Shisui-Nii. There's something wrong with all this, and someone will have to tell me the truth. My name is Uchiha Yanagi, I'm the last Uchiha girl.
1. Prolog

**Prolog**

" _Which is the true nightmare, the horrific dream that you have in your sleep or the dissatisfied reality that awaits you when you awake?" Justin Alcala_

* * *

 _Black._

 _Red._

 _Twirling._

 _Black grass beneath me._

 _Red mist around me._

 _Black sky above me. Red moon inside._

 _Red._

 _Black._

 _Pain._

I woke up covered by cold sweat.

In the dark, the machines bleeped. Tubes tied me with their plastic fingers, violating my veins. Everything else was blurry. Pain in my side. I panted. I felt like throwing up. The world wobbled around me as I tried to get up in panic. I had to hide. My legs felt like cotton. No hope running, then. What were my options then ?

I still had some chakra, so I should be able to maintain my dôjutsu for a while. I needed a weapon and a place to watch the room while keeping an easy escape road. We hadn't done much strategy in the Academy, and the clan mostly focused on investigation and interrogation. I had picked lots of these techniques, though brute force summed most of it up. Hiding and waiting to strike weren't how it worked in the clan.

The opposite corner was perfect. I tumbled down the bed. I couldn't stand at all. My hand went to my bandaged side. The surged of pain cleared my mind. I was in a hospital. I was alive. I had been treated.

I had no idea what had happened. My memory was like one big black pitch. I was with Tekka-san, visiting Onii-san and Father. We had left the last meeting of the clan where I felt sick. Fugaku-Sama really had his plan to take the village over. Lots of clan members were looking at me expectantly. Since I was alone, I had been sent to live with relatives. It had been two months... At the time they seemed like a century. Tonight it was a mere blink of an eye.

The door sprung open. I couldn't manage a fighting stance.

"Get back on your bed !" the nurse shouted. "It's dangerous."

"Being killed is most dangerous." I croaked as she helped me up. "I must..."

"You're safe here."

"No I'm not !" I feebly exclaimed. "Someone tried to murder me ! He was..."

I couldn't remember a thing. A deep headache overcame what was left of my senses. I clenched my teeth. I would not whimper before a mere nurse ! Everything went black.

 _Red._

 _Black._

 _I look at this bizarre landscape. It has no end._

 _Black hills away. Red wind pushes my hair._

 _I don't know where I stand._

 _Red night. Black horizon._

 _I don't know where I go._

 _Black._

 _Red._

 _Red._

 _Black._

 _Twirling. Twirling._

 _My hands are black. My blood is red._

 _There's a black tree behind me._

 _There's a black bush at my feet._

 _There's a black katana in my side._

 _My blood was so red._

 _Pain was..._

I woke up screaming.

The room was of a nice peach color.

The window and door frame were white.

The ceiling was slightly yellow.

The floor was a dark brown linoleum.

My sheets were of a warm blue.

I panted hard. I was alive. Oh, thank Kami I was alive. I opened my hospital gown to inspect the bandages. No blood seeping through them. I prodded the wound, relieved by the whiteness that surrounded me. Curly bangs darkened my sight. I immediately pushed the locks back. I needed light and colors.

"Are you alright ?" the nurse asked, jumping inside.

"I had a nightmare..." I muttered. "I just... couldn't wake up from it."

She ran a hand on my brow, checking if I was feverish. I straightened my stance.

"You don't seem to have any symptoms..." she said.

A pout wrinkled my lips : I was obviously doing fine ! Well it was a good thing she thought so. I had been attacked and I had no idea where Tekka-san was. I had to know where he was. Plus I should expect a visit from other clan members. I was affiliated to Mikoto-Sama, and I was the daughter of Uchiha Kagami : I was someone important. Not that it mattered to me, but I had to respect certain standards.

"Well, if you wish I can arrange a meeting with a Yamanaka clan member to check your mental health." she said.

"I thank you for your concern, but this decision cannot be made by me. I need the approval of Fugaku-Sama. What instructions did he left ?"

There had to be instructions, right ? I had been attacked at night, and this was dusk. I had been out for hours. People were surely waiting to visit me. Maybe even Itachi-Sama. I hadn't seen him in days. Last time I heard about him, the police taskforce was blaming him for my brother's death.

"U... Uchiha-San, I don't want you to learn it this way..."

My breathing fastened, and I stared at her warily. What was she trying to say ?

"Last night, the Uchiha clan was..."

The rest of her words were like a dream. I wish I hadn't heard them. Oh, kami-sama, I wish I hadn't. I trembled under my covers. Everyone was... Everyone had been... It's impossible. Such things couldn't happen here. Not within the village. There had been tension for months and multiple secret meeting at the shrine. But I knew my brother and Itachi-san had worked hard on settling peace between the clan and the village.

So how could they have all died ? It was impossible. I couldn't believe.

I wasn't thinking straight. I had to calm down, I knew, but it was impossible. My hands were trembling. I was about to break in a million pieces. The only thing that kept me whole was that the presence of the nurse. I would only show little emotion to her. I still was an Uchiha, and I will act like one.

The aid asked me generic questions about my dream, and I answered mechanically. She hadn't been trained in this field of expertise. I couldn't blame her for being limited. Then she inspected my wound, removing my bandages. My arms felt heavy as lead. It was hard keeping them up. I couldn't stop the shivers. I wish I wasn't so weak ! And then I saw the scar.

The medics had worked on it, I knew. Still, a thick red mark marked my side. I looked away. The nurse started to coax me, so I wouldn't panic. But right now my mind was blank. I could process nothing. I just kept my mind from shattering.

Later I would understand what she meant. The assassin had neatly plunged a katana between my fifth and sixth rib, puncturing my left lung and barely missing my heart. It seemed I had moved in a last moment, gaining precious seconds. I had been found hemorrhaging near the cemetery, plunged in a deep comatose state.

As she was about to leave, I asked the nurse :

"Could you close the curtains, please ?"

She smiled encouragingly. The dying sun was sending red rays inside my room. I couldn't stand them. She came back with a tray of food. She put it in my night stand. I wasn't hungry.

Later that night, silent sobs shook me all night long. I finally fell from exhaustion.

 _Black._

 _Red._

 _Red._

 _Black_

 _Suffocating me. Chewing me. Swallowing me._

 _I want to leave but this is too hard. I can't moved, pinned to that dark oak._

 _I see the sword embedded in my chest. The suffering is atrocious. I painfully take my breath. It's gurgling in my throat. There was no one holding the katana._

 _This is not real. This is just a dream fueled by my memories._

 _But I still couldn't get out._

 _What could I do ? I had only woken up because of pain, but now I'm just stuck._

 _My struggle only make the sword move. I'm whining. My ribs are blocking the blade. I c couldn't move it out._

 _How can I wake up ? How can I wake up !_

 _This wasn't real. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real._

 _Red._

 _Black._

 _Black._

 _Red._

Someone shook me awake. Almost jumping, I violently pulled the sheets off me to blind the attacker. Something was finally happening in this blackness. My opponent was curiously small, I noted as I threw myself on him. I quickly grabbed the fork on the nightstand, trashing the food. I wouldn't stop. It was killed or be killed. I had no strength at all. The pain in my side was excruciating, but it kept me going. In a swift motion I plunged the improvised weapon down.

My target wriggled and I missed it. I had been careless. I turned my Sharingan on. I wouldn't miss any of his moves.

"Die !" I growled.

"Yanagi-Nee, wait !" my target shouted, showing his face from under the covers.

I stopped my move right before scarring Sasuke's face. I gritted my teeth. Was I still dreaming ? Because if I was, this was a cruel dream. I couldn't stop the tears from pulling in my eyes.

"S... Sasuke-Chan" I cried disbelievingly. "You're not... You're..."

His arms closed around me. I heard the fork loudly clattering on the floor.

"You're not dead..." he muttered.

He was crying. He was crying. And so was I. He was real. He wasn't dead. We were the only ones left.

"Big boys don't cry." I muttered in answer.

I used to tell him that whenever his brother flicked his brow or delayed their training together.

"Promise you won't leave me."

"Yeah..."

I won't leave you. I will protect you. So stay with me.

Days went on slowly. After the nurses checked us for injuries, they moved me in the same room as him. Whenever I fell asleep, I would dream in black and red. Sasuke-Chan told me he had had similar visions, with the dying clan members. He told me Itachi had done everything. He told me about the weird Sharingan his brother had. I told him about the back and red land in my head. It was probably a Genjutsu as well, but why didn't it stopped ?

We were kept from going to school for a week. Sasuke-Chan was two years under me in the Academy. Teaching him about what he was supposed to learn distracted me from the pain. I had almost died that night. Sasuke-Chan had just been put under a strong illusion. There was something in this I didn't understand. I had been supposed to die. The way the assassin had acted towards me, and towards the rest of the clan meant it had been prepared. He probably thought I was dead, so he left me. It was a miracle if I had lived. My cousin had been left alive.

I hadn't had much time to think. We followed a quick therapy with Yamanaka Inoichi the head of Interrogation and Torture. It aimed to help us overcome our traumas and enlighten the whole affair. Everything accused Itachi-Sama. Yet, there was something bugging me in this whole affair. In the end, I was apt to go back to the Academy. They kept Sasuke a while more : his thirst for revenge wasn't good.

I couldn't stay in the hospital. I had to live. For both of us.

I couldn't believe Itachi-Sama had done all this. Not that he couldn't kill the clan. But I knew there was something more going on. Shisui-Nii had told me about the tensions between the clan and Konoha. And I knew there was something fishy going on. Ninjas were weapons, but I had painfully realized it when I had no one to protect me from the Elder's greed. No one but our Clan Heir. The policemen said it was because of guilt. They said it was to cover the fact he had killed my brother. I couldn't believe that. Onii-San was prepared to save Itachi from the Clan, he wanted to achieve their common dream : peace.

There was missing pieces in that story.I wanted to blame Itachi-Sama. I wanted to have someone to reject the fault on. But I was sure in these terrible acts, Sasuke-Chan, Itachi-Sama and I were victims. I would discover the truth behind it all.

My name was Uchiha Yanagi. The village hasn't finished hearing from me.

* * *

 _Hello everyone,  
_

 _No I'm not dead, I'm just suuuuuuuper busy at the moment._

 _Why did I start another story instead of writing A Hero's Shadow ? Two reasons. For one the form of the text isn't good anymore. I was supposed to be regular short chapters, and because I was lazy/depressed at the time I slowed my writing pace and started making kibger chapters. After a while I had no time at all with my internship and my studies (I obtained my Economy and Management degree with a mention)._

 _The second reason was the discovery of another story named Dreaming of Sunshine.Her story is gret and I suggest you go read it. BUT ! Her character, Shikako Nara is the twin of Shikamaru Nara, she hastroubles communicating with people, she uses explosives and aims to be a seal master... When I read that I had wondered about my own story. her character is similar to mine, and now that I have read her story, I'm afraid I'll copy some of its contents (unintentionally, I want to have my original plot). So I have to rethink the story I'll have to make Kagerou even weaker, almost a civilian and never let her attend the Academy. She would be more like a civilian/a princess to save (but absolutely disagreeing with that role).  
_

 _I already had ideas for what would happen next, but they won't work at all if I make the necessary changes (they can take time). But I already had thought of another character that could follow a similar quest, and I wanted a more Uchiha-centered story. That is how Yanagi was born._

 _Yanagi means willow. Originally I thought of her as a weeping willow because of her curly hair covening her face when she's filled with grief._

 _Before I rewrite AHS, I have another project in mind after Will o' the Wisp. A Potterfiction (I want to try writing in another universe)_

 _I love you guy's. Bye ! Don't hesitate asking questions._

 _Narsha_


	2. Three years

_Hey everyone,_

 _I didn't want to publish any chapter this morning, but I felt the need to express myself concerning the events on Paris last night. I'm really shocked by everything that happened, and relieved that all my friends were safe and sound._

 _I'm also relieved my school wasn't attacked : three attacks happened near._

 _I don't understand why people only talk with violence. The way things were settled... We could do nothing to stop them._

 _They wanted to clip our wings, they wanted to kill our voices, they wanted us to grovel in fear... But no weapon can harm Freedom. As long as there's one mouth speaking of our beating hearts, we will not go down._

 _I know my texts aren't much, but I won't stop writing._

 _Narsha_

* * *

 **Chapter 1 : Three years**

 _" Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul." Dave Pelzer, A Child called "It"_

Days went by. They turned into weeks and into months. The terrified kids we had been were gone. Innocence had died from our souls. Sasuke-Chan had become that grumpy guy who was only motivated by revenge. I was just an empty shell that couldn't keep asking why. Summer. Fall. Winter. Spring. Summer again. There was nothing left of the compound ; it had been burned to the ground.

Over and over again. It's the same day that goes on, and on, and on. It never ends.

I wake up early. When it's summer it's the rising sun that calls to me. I like the golden night that irradiates from far away in the forest. When it's winter it's the hum of the bakery that gets me on my feet. I used to sleep a lot when I was younger. I felt so old in my body. I don't own a clock. I didn't put one in my room. The ticking noise annoys me. It reminds me of the time that passes, time that I can't count correctly.

Then like every day of the week, I put a T-shirt and jogging pants on. I added a scarf or a jacket if it gets colder. I always use the same colors : dark blue, burgundy or brown for the top, black for the bottom. I always wear my hair into a wavy bun. I can't do anything else with them. Too long and it gets dangerous, too short and I have a pack of seaweeds instead of curls.

I know Sasuke-Chan is never up before a while. I don't understand that child. I know he is mentally scarred, but he's not diligent enough. He seemed to think he didn't have to train much because he was already so good. Yes he was the top shinobi of his promotion, like I was majoring mine. But that didn't mean he had to stop there. I never stopped training. It was obvious that the village kept us within its walls. Had we been in a war, we would already been in the battlefield.

In fact, I was quite sure Sasuke-Chan still acted like the little prince he had been in the clan. Shisui-Nii had told me our clan leader had always favored his elder. In the end, it was Mikoto-Sama who took care of her son, and she was quite protective. On the other hand, my father died young and my brother clearly chose his quest over me. But whenever he had the time, he would be there for me, even though he was nine years older than me.

In the end, I had lived with other cousins. Because of who I was, I couldn't slack off. I had to show them I was worth the blood in my veins. When Sasuke-Chan was begging his brother to teach him shuriken tricks, I was shooting mine on my targets. My accuracy wasn't the best, but I worked on it. When Sasuke-Chan had been shown a Katon Jutsu by his father, I was busy anointing my second degree burns. He may be smarter than me, but I worked harder. I felt there was no point comparing our results when there weren't the same amount of work beforehand.

After dressing, I eat some leftovers, pack two bento and leave enough food for a breakfast. I had no time checking if the boy woke up or not. I had to get to work. From five to eight in the morning I was working out. I run laps for one hour before stretching. At six I was reviewing all the Jutsus I knew near the lake. I often went back with wild flowers to decorate the tombs of our clansmen. Around seven thirty I borrowed scrolls or books from the library. I was learning tons of stuff, though I was pretty sure I would remember most of it. I was looking for another skill to hone.

Around eight I would be back to take a shower and change. The scar on my chest had been deformed by my growing chest. The blistered red skin was now of a vivid pink. The medics had said it would dim, but I would always distinguish it.

Sasuke was generally up by then. I was quite sure he persuaded himself that we woke up around the same time. I drank green tea with no sugar with him, watching him eat. We weren't discussing much. He had lost his outgoing personality and I had always preferred the quiet. We never talk about the past. It was taboo.

We used to be quite close, even though we were even closer now. I was a year and a half older than he was. Our fathers were first degree cousin, which made us both heirs of Uchiha Madara. I found some traits of Naori Obaa-san in both of us. We both had pale skin, thin traits and jet black hair and eyes. I think Shisui-Nii, Sasuke-Chan and I shared the same build : we had always been bulkier than Itachi-Sama. I got the impossible fuzzy hair and the mole on the face, and Sasuke got the spiky silk hair that made the back of his head look like a duck butt.

Then I would wash up the dishes and we would go to the Academy together. Some people teased us about our closeness. Since the downfall of our clan, Sasuke-Chan had changed. He used to brag about all the gifts he received from girls of his class and tell me all about his annoying classmates. I would generally explain some of my current readings to him. I think I had some admirers in my promotion, but I had never paid attention to it. Plus I had read somewhere that boys don't react like girls, especially when it's about crushes.

The classes would go well. Even though I was more a bookworm than an outgoing person, I had established cordial relations with my classmates. There was some exceptions of course. I had a great relationship with this civilian girl named Tenten. She was an orphan from the Kyuubi incident, and she was really great at using weapons and such. There was also this boy I admired, not that I would tell him given his behavior, but I was really impressed by Rock Lee's motivation. If he succeeded in becoming a shinobi without using chakra, that would be a premiere. And there was this cold guy, Hyuuga Neji. He didn't like me, I didn't like him and we were always competing for the top scores.

It was a shame they didn't allow mixed battles in the Academy. Girls fought girls. Boys fought boys. I would only have a good Taijutsu spar later when I trained with Sasuke-Chan. His technique was slightly better than mine, but I had more strength. I often won our spars, mostly because I had more experience, and because I worked harder than him. I had no doubt he would overcome me if he had the motivation.

I couldn't say we were close though. We lived together, we were the last of our clan, but Sasuke-Chan refused completely to deepen our relationship. Rumor had it that I was legally his fiancée, and that we would become the new heads of the clan. I didn't care about it : all the fangirls who had challenged me had been put to their places rather fast. But it bothered Sasuke-Chan. I was practically sure he didn't want anyone near him. I was about sure it was something Itachi-Sama had told him. I was never told his exact words.

Training with Sasuke-Chan wasn't a regular occurrence. Fortunately Tenten was more than happy to help me, not mentioning the numerous fangirls who were still trying to break my "engagement vows with Sasuke-Kun". They had never succeeded in this, but I supposed it counted as a regular training.

He was training as well, but I knew he was at least lacking a partner. One could get better alone, but unmoving targets couldn't get you very far. I couldn't convince him to train with anyone. He didn't want to be approached by anyone. Even though I craved for solitude, I could tell it wasn't his case. He was rejected everyone.

Even if it was tough, life was pretty simple. I liked it that way. There was no surprises, and I could somehow be in control. It had been hard, especially at the beginning. I wasn't good at keeping a house, and Sasuke-Chan surely hadn't been taught that. But I did my best to make a home of our tiny apartment. Thankfully we still had access to the money of the clan, which made things pretty easy.

I learned how to cook healthy meals. I learned how to sew clothes (and even skin sometimes since Sasuke-Chan wanted to go nowhere near an hospital). I learned to bargain at the market. I learned a bit of accountancy (numbers were okay, but meeting the different persons that our clan still sponsored and traded with was way harder : no one takes a kid seriously).

I learned so many things, but I was nowhere near the truth. I wanted to know the truth, I wanted to understand. There were too many holes in this story. Things didn't fit, or maybe they fitted too well. I hated it when things didn't go the way they were supposed to. It annoyed me greatly. Even though I knew there was a hidden motive in Itachi-Sama's acts, even though I knew Fugaku-Sama had been planning something bad, I couldn't forgive what had been done to Sasuke-Chan.

Sasuke-Chan would kill his brother. I read that desire in his eyes every single day. I was a year ahead of him. If I wanted my answers, I'd better graduate fast and find Itachi-Sama. Next time these two will meet, one of them will surely die. I wouldn't stand that. Brother had died. Father had died. Tekka-San had died. The brothers were all that was left of my family. I won't let them destroy it.

How long until I get adult ?


	3. Time flows

_"It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone." Rose Kennedy_

 **Chapter 2 : Time flows**

 _Black._

 _Red._

 _There's a black katana in my side. My breath is short and gurgling._

 _I focus chakra in my eyes, making the tomoe spin. Everything here is a chakra construction. Everything is in my head. So I should be able to..._

 _My hands went through the blade. My mind was screaming this was the real thing, sharp, hurting, killing. Under my fingers I felt the chakra tingling._

 _My mind, my dream, my body. So I had to take the control back. I was missing something. Sharingan was enough to tell what was real and what wasn't, but not enough to free me from all this bloody night._

 _I pulled and pulled and pulled._

 _There was pain. In my mind. In my eyes._

 _Red_

 _Black._

I whimpered in the dark. I stood on my bed. Wet tears rolled on my face. A migraine was killing me. Why couldn't I stop this Genjutsu ? How could it still be active inside my brain ? It had been three years, it isn't possible to keep a Jutsu running for that long !

I walked to the bathroom to wash my sweaty face. I turned on the light and looks at my face in the mirror. It wasn't tears. It was blood. I let out a worrying sigh. What the heck ? My Sharingan was turned on and there was this pounding pain before my eyes. I had to see a doctor right now !

I jumped outside the window. Still in my pajamas and my hair sticking in every direction, I started running. Everything around me got blurry as I run from roof to roof. My head was aching bad, and I had some troubles to see. I jumped down the roof, rolling on the floor right before the medical establishment. The door refused to open. I put more strength in my push, but it wouldn't budge. This was highly unusual. I saw the nurse facing the door. I made signs to her, but she didn't saw me.

There had to be another way.

I looked behind and found myself in front of me. Or at least a remnant image of myself. It looked faded. What was that ! I followed the different images of myself still in jumping and running, stopped in midair. Then I noticed something wrong.

I thought it was dark because of the night, but it was wrong. Everything around me was of a grayish tone. I had seen nobody yet apart from the nurse. I checked back. The images of myself didn't appear in the partial reflection. The nurse was reading a newspaper. Next to her, the clock was running slow. Thanks to my eyes I could see the handle of the seconds ticking. Was it me or it was slightly slower than I expected ?

The pain was becoming less intense by the minute. I could feel the chakra pull. I hope I would have enough left for the graduation test.

"Hey !" I called loudly but heard nothing.

I couldn't even hear the sound of my own voice ! I banged on the glass but it wasn't even vibrating. There had to be a logical explanation to all of this. I started pacing. Strangely enough my clones had no substance, quite like the Bunshin we had learned in school. I should try to find someone, like anyone.

It was still very early, and the chakra started costing more and more. I don't know how long I spend looking for someone who could see me. It seemed impossible. Everyone was moving a bit slow and not paying any attention to me. I couldn't lift anything from the outside. This was funny, because I obviously wore clothes, and they moved with me. I was tempted to see whether if I left something on the floor and walked from it, it would get stuck like everything else, or if I could take it back. Unfortunately I had other priorities than undressing to see if my experiment would work.

My reserves of chakra were getting seriously low and the sun was definitively rising. I couldn't find anyone to help me. And I had no mean of action on the outside world. My head was spinning. I felt myself falling... I leaned on a bench. I should sit and wait a bit before...

I blinked.

"I see you've regained consciousness." a voice said near me.

I sat up immediately. Where was I ? Definitely not in my room or in the streets. Plus the colors were normal, and the person next to me was clearly a medic. My head was still spinning. My eyes had stopped hurting though.

"How did I get here ? Who brought me in ?" I asked. "More importantly what time is it ?"

"Calm down young lady, you've just woke up from a severe chakra exhaustion." the doctor said. "More importantly, I'd like to see your eyes. It seems you've overused your dôjutsu."

I nodded ad went still, letting the man check my health with his tools and a bit of chakra. I focused on my chakra levels. They were depleted but not critically low. As instructed, I flashed my Sharingan on and off.

"It doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it. Just to be sure, please take an appointment with an optometrist. I recommend Hyuuga Hiroshi."

Immediately after he said the name I tensed. Of course it would have been a Hyuuga optometrist. There weren't any Uchiha left. The doctor chuckled.

"You should go to school soon. I think you have your exams today, right ?"

"Thanks for taking care about me." I bowed.

"Don't forget the appointment." he answered

It was almost eight and I had done no training this morning ! I almost ran to the reception desk. The nurse was the same I had seen in my vision a few hours ago. She greeted me before checking the availability for an appointment. I observed her face carefully. She didn't seem to recognize me. There was the same newspaper she was reading in the trash. Which meant that : A it hadn't been a dream, B she clearly hadn't seen me.

First my Sharingan does weird things, and then nobody notices me. There was something to dig here. Maybe Sasuke-Chan knew something about it. I heard there was a ninja from outside our clan who had a Sharingan, but I would have to look at our clan archives. These documents were placed under seals, and the procedures were long. I didn't want to fill administrative papers because of a headache and my own inability to disrupt a dream induced Genjutsu.

Especially when I could avoid dreaming about it.

I ran home to take a shower. Sasuke was already taking his breakfast.

"You're training in your pajamas, now ?" he asked, surprised by my clothes.

I heavily blushed at his teasing. At least he was on a relatively good mood this morning.

"Shut up." I answered. "At least I'm training."

"Are you all right ? Your eyes looks kind of puffy." He noted.

"Oh, that's nothing." I answered. " I just overused my Sharingan. Never happened to you ?"

"I don't remember such a thing. You train too much."

"You're just slacking that's all."

I turned back at him before getting fully clothed. He was always getting so stiff whenever I told him he wasn't training enough. He was still thinking working by himself was enough. I knew about the scrolls he had taken from the compound before they burned it to the ground. Taking a peek at me in the bathroom I saw how right he was. The white of my eyes was a bit redder than usual. So I put a bit of make-up and a little illusion to cover that. I didn't have much of these civilian products, but it was always useful from time to time to cover training bruises. Plus as the last Uchiha, I had to look the best I could, which was an impossible task with the acne and the hormones kicking in.

I wish I still had the women of the clan teaching me about these girl's stuff. It was hard enough being with stupid preteen boys. Now I had to deal with these hormones peaks. Basically I alternatively felt like trashing everything, or kissing every boy I met. This feeling was pretty disturbing, especially when living with my little cousin. I had to be very careful around him. No need to expose him to my bloody underwear.

I quickly took one onigiri he had made for me. What a sweet boy ! It looked like... It doesn't look like anything I knew, but it seemed edible. He had forgotten to make a bento, though. I looked at the clock.

Tick. Tock. Goes the clock.

I turned my Sharingan on.

Time flow was normal. Colors weren't turning grey.

So what had happened this morning.

I took a look at the coffee table. My camera was still lying on it, like the last time I had used it. I liked taking pictures, it was kind of a hobby. The Yamanaka psychologist that was counseling me (only me since Sasuke-Chan pretended he wasn't mad and didn't want anyone inside his head) had advised me to have some artistic hobby. For a long time, even after they send me back to the Academy, I couldn't tell what was reality and what was not. So I took pictures to immortalize the truth. I took many pictures of what I wanted to be certain of, like my scars, Sasuke, the ruins of the compound, and more importantly the moon.

I picked it up, checking there still was some battery in before focusing the lenses on the clock. Tick. Tock. I pressed the button. The camera buzzed a bit, printing a neat Polaroid. I put the camera in my bag, along with maintenance tools. I shook the photo in the air, old habit because it was already dry. 8 : 23 A.M. I was late.

I flew through the window and ran to school.

I was panting hard when I entered the class. The bell rang as I went inside.

"Well, it's unusual to see you at this hour, Yanagi-San." Mizuki-Sensei greeted me.

Every one's eyes was on me. I looked for a seat. Tenten-Chan was with her civilian friends, I couldn't go near her. Someone had trapped a bench last week and it hadn't been replaced yet. The only place left was right between the Hyuuga icecube and Rock Lee. I was the one getting trapped between Scylla and Charybdis this morning. Wherever the Hyuuga was the other followed, always challenging, never acknowledged. I stiffly walked to the front row.

"Is it me or Yanagi-San is wearing make-up this morning ?" a girl muttered.

"Does she want to look pretty for Neji-Kun ? That idiot." another retorted.

"She'll never have a boyfriend, that giant bookish girl." their third friend retorted.

I ignored them. That trio had always been nagging me, especially because of my closeness with Sasuke-Chan. They always criticized my pale skin, my height (I was taller than some boys), my curls. They weren't important. I wasn't sure they would pass their exams : they lacked in everything that made a good ninja.

The Hyuuga ice cube and I were two dôjutsu wielder, the teachers always wanted us o pair up. I had always found the way to avoid this outcome. Not that the boy was mean or anything, but I found him creepy and unnerving. The rare times I couldn't avoid him, he flatly told me that the death of my clan was fated, and so had been my survival. I couldn't stand him. He was a genius, beating everyone in the class in practically everything. He reminded me of Sasuke-Chan, the way he thought he couldn't be beaten because he was from a great clan.

"Excuse-me, Hyuuga-San." I told him as I found myself near him.

"Go ahead." he answered, standing so I could pass.

Nobody wanted to seat in between the Hyuuga and Rock Lee except for very courageous boys who didn't fear losing their hearing. Girls weren't brave enough to bear with Rock Lee long enough to try and cling to Hyuuga-San. I was sure the boy did it on purpose.

My body brushed against his as I squeezed myself on the last place I would have ever want to find myself. I stiffened, repressing the hormones flow. The books I had read told me I would get used to it, and it would lessen in years. Still that weird feeling in my body and the flutter of my heart whenever a boy touched me was unnerving. It was hard keeping my temper.

"Really good morning to you, Yanagi-San !" Rock Lee saluted me.

"To you as well", I politely answered.

"You look great this morning !" he almost yelled.

My smile was crisped. Farewell my eardrums and inner ear.

"As you are aware of it, your final Academy Exam are this morning." Mizuki-Sensei said as I sat down. "You will be tested on your basics, since everything else can be found in your files. You won't have any problem if you have worked well this year. If you pass this test, you will officially be a Genin. Good luck to you all."

People were muttering all around us. I felt my neighbor burning with challenge. I felt almost sorry for Lee-San : he was doing fine in school, but he couldn't mold his chakra properly. A ninja that can only use Taijutsu couldn't be considered as a ninja.

Sensei started calling us by our names. We had to go to a room, getting tested and go in the schoolyard. I wanted to know what they were testing. I was sure I would pass, but it didn't stop me from being stressed. Moreover, I was quite sure the wait before taking the actual exam was a test as well. I felt my hands getting sweaty and resisted the urge to sweep them on my shirt.

I was Uchiha Yanagi, the last Uchiha female alive. I had to do well in these exams. I couldn't show any weakness.

I noticed I hadn't any book with me, since I had packed so fast this morning. In order to focus on something else, I started cleaning my camera. Methodically I put my tools on my left and my camera in front of me. Whenever I unscrewed a part, I put the components in boxes above. I felt the curious look of people around me. I tried not to be swayed by the impressed shouts of Lee-San. Hyuuga-San remained silent, but his eyes were watching me. I had finished the cleaning part, time to reassemble the camera.

"That is so impressive Yanagi-San !" he suddenly yelled.

My shoulders stiffened at the aggressive noise. I forced myself to relax, controlling my breathing. One, two three, four the air entered my nose. I blocked my respiration and counted regularly : one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. I exhaled at the same rhythm. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Breathing in to four. Blocking to seven. Breathing out to eight. My eyes stayed focused. I calmed myself after four times of this respiration. I was entirely focused.

Barajou Mai, one of the mocking girls was called by Sensei. She walked near us. I didn't pay any attention to the way she swayed her hips near the Hyuuga. Had I been in a less entertaining task, I would have huffed. I just ignored her, and so did the object of her affection. He was looking at me working. It had never happened before. I could hear the frustration in the way the girl moved. I should focus more of my task, my surroundings were getting annoying. I was almost done.

My sharingan flashed on, noticing every details of the mechanical pieces. I

"Who do you think you're impressing with that old thing." she said and my eyes briefly flickered to her.

I saw every detail of her. She was slow. The muscles of her right shoulder twitched. She was about to put everything on the floor, and probably break it. I wasn't sure I would be able to find all the screws if she did so. The lenses would get dusty and probably crack because of the shock. I didn't like people touching my things. I prepared myself, shifting the way I was holding my tools. The eyes if the Hyuuga felt heavy on me. I felt like I was being dissected. A shiver went through my back. I saw Mai-San's hand moving. Mine did as well. It would look like an accident.

The pointy screwdriver jabbed the skin inside her wrist. She jumped away.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mai-San." I said blandly, seeing all the details of the red drop forming on her skin. "I was so focused I didn't see you here."

She furiously stared at me, and I stared back. How impudent of her, looking right into my Sharingan. It didn't take me look to put her under an illusion. Not a serious one of course, I didn't want to waste my chakra for nothing. My reserves were still low because of this morning.

Genjutsu could be used on an zone or a precise subject. The aim was either to fool the senses or to instill a particular emotion. Depending on the aim of the illusion you had to fool more than one sense. It was a common mistake to believe that the human body only have five senses (smell, hearing, sight, touch and taste). I had other senses to focus on like balance, heat, pain, and to some extend time, kinesthetic sense or hunger. The more complex the illusion was, the more I had to fool. In short, I had to use my chakra to send other signals inside the person's brain. The type of signals, the precision of it, and the way their own brain would fill the gaps had to be taken into account.

It was commonly acquired that freeing oneself from a Genjutsu needed a pain stimuli (or any other stimuli that could overrule the Genjutsu user's signal), stopping the chakra flux inside the body before swaying the energy residue with a chakra wave, or someone else's flooding your chakra system with his (in a non-aggressive manner).

The trick to believable illusions was to fool several senses, while keeping real senses giving accurate data to the brain. Of course the aim could be only to impair your enemy, which was currently what I had decided to do on the girl. I had no need to fool her senses (I would have opted for an area Genjutsu in that case). She would understand the gap between us. She would feel fear.

She tensed and blanched. In a swift move I positioned the camera in front of my eye and pressed the button. The polaroid went out, neatly showing her frightened face. I snapped my fingers, my eyes going black again. She tumbled on her feet.

"You..." she breathed out.

"Such a nice face you made, Mai-San." I sweetly said. "Did you know you were that photogenic ?"

She was still trembling. I was actually impressed she could stand on her heels. I stared at her.

"I hope you do well on your exam." I told her handing her the picture. "Keep it, you might use it on your ID card later."

She nervously gulped and went away. I felt very satisfied with myself.

"That was quite mean of you." the Hyuuga said near me.

"What are you saying Neji-Kun ? Yanagi-San apologized for the wound Mai-San carelessly caused herself. She should have been more observant."

"Not everyone has talent." I noted.

Both agreed to my sentence, though not for the same reasons. Sensei was watching us intently. I saw him marking something in a notebook. I looked at the clock. There was still a long way to go. I took a picture of it, just to be sure...

I let my eyes wander around the class. I had learned a lot by observing people. It was very useful. I mostly used these things to understand human nature. On the one hand I had hope that understanding these people made me more outgoing and trusting. On the other hand I started understanding schemes that regularly came back, especially with ninjas. Entering someone's mind and intimacy may be uncomfortable, but it help me settling Genjutsu.

What was real and what wasn't ? Why were things working this way ? These were the two questions I was always asking myself. Because if things were real and broken, how could I fix them ? I wanted to fix the black and red in my head. I wanted to fix the black in red in Sasuke. I wanted to understand what black and red motivated Shisui-Nii and Itachi-Sama so much. I wanted to see what black and red lied ahead of me.

"Uchiha Yanagi" Mizuki-Sensei called and I came back to reality.

Lots of time had passed. I noticed I had scribbled some stuff in papers, ideas of pictures mostly. I sadly noted how impossible these were, half dreams of a reunited family. I should pay my respect to the clan today, I had forgotten this morning.

I walked to the teacher's desk, taking an empty file and went to the room I was supposed to be evaluated. Sitting on the only chair in the corridor, I patiently waited by filling the form.

Surname : Uchiha

First Name : Yanagi

Age : 13 (Born a November 13)

Born in : Konoha / Fire Country (Uchiha compound, they didn't want Mother to go to the hospital, too bad)

Height : 159 centimeters (I was almost as tall as Neji)

Weight : 49 kg (rather on the thin side)

Number of family member in the Academy : 1

Name(s) and age(s): Uchiha Sasuke (11)

Family status : Dead (I added the answer by hand before skipping a few questions)

Are you perceiving any financial help ? Yes

Precise if you've answered yes to the last question : Konoha Council, Fire Country Orphan Fund

Have you followed another formation during the Academy (clan training, medical training, part-time job, other) ? Clan Training

Have you obtained a certification in this area ? No

Do you have any clan/self specificity ? Sharingan and Katon Justu

Do you have any particular health condition ? No

Are you under medication ? No

Are you following a therapy ? Yes (psychological)

Do you train outside the Academy ? Yes

Do you train alone or in group (Precise the people) ? Mostly alone. Clan Training with Uchiha Sasuke. Basic and Taijutsu training with Tenten.

In which areas ? Basic training, Clan Jutsu, Genjutsu, general culture (library)

How regularly do you train ? From 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.

Explain in a few words your personal or professional project : I want to become at least Jounin. I want to understand why the clan (I didn't want them to know about my doubts about Itachi-Sama's situation)

How would you see yourself in 5 years ? Alive.

Quote two situations where you have felt :

 _Comfortable_ : Majoring my class subjects / learning to become independent

 _Uncomfortable_ : nearly dying / learning all the people I have known have died

What are your main qualities ? Analytical, controlling, quiet

What are your main defaults ? Suspiscious, self-doubting, lack of sociability

What are your other hobbies ? Photography, reading

I started twirling the pen between my fingers. After a moment the door opened. I stood and bowed before Iruka-Sensei (probably a clone or Sasuke-Chan was having another teacher today). I handed him the file and the pen and followed him inside. There was another teacher with him. I think it was Aoi-Sensei, but I couldn't tell.

"Uchiha Yanagi, I'm here to pass my test." I said.

"To pass ? Already ?" Aoi-Sensei joked. "All right Yanagi, show us the Bunshin technique."

"Understood."

I made the seal with my fingers and called the chakra. I was used to it so it didn't take much chakra (though I was lacking a bit in chakra control so I needed a bit more energy than it should). I felt the illusionary me popping into existence. I had two on my left side and one on my right side. The two teachers were smiling. I released the jutsu and bowed a second time.

"Congratulations. You can have your headband." Iruka-Sensei said to me.

"You're now officially a Genin of Konoha." Aoi-Sensei added.

"Thank you very much." I answered.

The metal plate glinted inside my hands. It had taken me time, but I had made it. Now I had to become a Chuunin. Then a Jounin. Then I'll try fining Itachi-Sama before Sasuke-San. And I'll learn the truth. There were lots if steps and I would take one step at a time.

Time will flow.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading until there. I hope you enjoyed it.  
_

 _Don't hesitate asking questions or leaving a review. Review motivates the author. It's the only way we have to know our story is good or not._

 _You can also contact me on my Deviantart accounrt Ryoushi-nin (not that I know how to draw...)_

 _Have a good night (it's night in France actually)._

 _Narsha_


	4. First meeting

_"Rivalry discovers that courtesy overlooks." Baltasar Gracián_

 **Chapter 3 : First meeting**

I woke up from a dreamless night. I had told my councilor several times about my dreams. She pretended it was just remnants of my traumatism. I knew they weren't normal. Yet if I was important enough to get therapy sessions with a Yamanaka psychologist, I wasn't enough to get a mental check up. I don't know how to explain it, but having these dreams helped me focusing on my daily life. They emptied my head, and I filled the rest of my thoughts with work.

I wasn't working hard before. Onii-Chan was never there for me, so there was no point doing more efforts. Today was different. There was only Sasuke-Chan and I and he relied on me. I couldn't let him down. We were the last Uchiha of Konoha. I would honour my clan and restore its previous fame with my own two hands.

April had started, and the sakura trees were blooming. I wish I was still young and innocent, dreaming of a prince kissing me under the flowing petals. I still found them beautiful, but I knew otherwise. I was the last Uchiha daughter. When I will reach an the age where having children will seem more useful to the village than fighting for it, I will probably get married. I had no idea who will be the (un)lucky man. My life will reach a stop then, and I will kindly be asked to stay at home and give birth to many children.

I didn't want of that life.

It's not that I was against the rebirth of my clan. It's not that I was that found of Konoha's political system (I had seen the towers outside the compound, Onii-San had explained their purpose). But I just couldn't stand the idea of being a pawn that was filling in until it could bring other pawns in the game. This was sick.

Yet this was the world we lived in, full of conspiracies and people dying.

My world used to be Onii-Chan and I, and Sasuke-Chan and Itachi-Sama. It was my little world inside the compound. But this little paradise didn't last long. Father fell sick. I was secretly happy because he would spend more time with me. But he died in the end. Brother fought for his ideas more than he fought for me. Even though it was breaking apart, I couldn't keep filling the cracks with dreams and mushy thoughts. I wanted to keep dreaming.

Now I wish I wasn't.

I started running in the streets of Konoha, my head filled with memories of the past. I remembered my first day at the Academy. It had been Hanami as well. I was wearing a cute yukata. Father had tried to put it on, but it just wouldn't work. Mikoto-Sama helped him and I had been so happy. I trusted people more at that time, I smiled to them. I even dared smiling to the stern face of our clan head.

I wondered where that smile disappeared to.

There was a move near me. My hand immediately went to reach a kunai in my pouch I wasn't wearing any, not in the morning in the middle of Konoha. I stopped running and skid into a defense stance. Breathing slowly, I calmly analyzed my surroundings. I didn't think there was a Genjutsu on. Just to be sure I flickered my Sharingan on.

"Ohayo !" a strong voice boomed behind me.

I lost my balance, totally caught by surprised. I used the move to twirl around my left foot and took a look at the man behind me. He was in the middle of the road, hands on the hips, proud as a peacock in his green spandex suit. I felt hot, noticing how well this suit fitted his genitals. Stupid puberty ! The unknown man was beaming at me, thumbs up. There was a wild glint in his teeth. I couldn't see where the light was coming from to make it glint that way. I relaxed my posture : he was a Konoha ninja. Yet I kept my dôjutsu on, just in case.

"How youthful to see a young lady train in the morning !" he shouted with a happy voice and I felt embarrassed. "Allow me to shake your hand !"

"I... I... no !" I answered, totally freaking out.

Who the hell was that man ! I started running and he was still following me. I went faster and he was still there, jogging in his efficient pace. Unconsciously my eyes analyzed the way he extended his muscles, the way his feet touched the ground, the strength he put in his strides. I went even faster.

"That is the spirit young kunoïchi ! Improving and testing the limits of your organism !" he was happily howling after me.

How could I lose that man ? My heart was pumping fast, and I pushed in my muscles even more. Too bad for the Jutsu training, this morning I would try to lose this man. But where could I go ? I didn't care being noticed with him, but he just wouldn't quit. My breath was getting short. I didn't stop moving. My lungs and legs were burning as I left the lone streets for the hiking path that led to the compound. I wondered how he would follow there. I knew the place better than he did.

I finally stopped hearing him. Huffing, I shifted to a fast walk. The roots and bushed had grown. My footsteps made almost no noise on the bare earth. I tried to expand my senses, checking if I was alone. Sharingan weren't made for detection. I could train my eyes in that field, given that it helped me see chakra sources. I would be unable to determine the distance of that chakra, and whether it belonged to a human being or a Jutsu. I crept in the woods in silence. I wish I was more instinctive sometimes. I was analyzing facts too much.

Outside the small woods stood the remnants of my compound. They really had taken everything they could, dismantling the houses to build others in the town. Only rocks were left. At least they had been fair : the money from all the sold items was given to us. I felt anger bubbling in me.

We had paid such a heavy toll. Itachi-Sama was gone after killing all our people. I should have been dead too. Instead I was just scared and full of questions. I was still looking for the missing pieces of the puzzle. I knew Shisui-Nii had asked the Hokage for a special mission inside the village for he had been more available than usual. Then there was this meeting where Itachi-Sama had been missing. My brother died the same night. He left a note saying he committed suicide. Even I couldn't tell if he had written it or not. Our relationship was odd, he valued Itachi-Sama better than he valued me. I wish he had looked at me. Then I wish they didn't, the others of the clan. There too something was wrong.

Even if I knew there was something missing, or something wrong, I didn't know what it was.

I watched the sun rise on the ruins of my clan.

It must have been around 7:30 when I came back towards the village. As usual I went to the cemetery to pay my respect to my fallen clansmen. The man was there too. He always was. The masked man didn't acknowledged my presence as I went to the tombs. He kept standing on the edges of the training field, silently watching the dark stone. These were the ninja killed in action. I wondered who he had lost.

I stopped before the names of Uchiha Kagami, Uchiha Shimizu and Uchiha Shisui. The mirror, the clear water and the still water. I knew mother wanted to name me Mioko, child of the water path. In the end she wasn't there to name me and Father chose Yanagi, the willow. I'm the weeping tree, the one who tries to reach the reflection of the moon in the water. The one who drinks the clear water to survive. Father had chosen a name that fitted me the best, a name filled with melancholia and bitterness.

"Father, Brother, Mother, it's me again."I said with a soft voice. "I came to tell you I became a ninja today. I'm going to have a team. I wish you were here because there are so many questions I wanna ask you. My eyes have started doing funny things, and I'm still dreaming of that day. I feel... I feel like I'm not strong enough..."

My voice trailed a bit. I remained silent for a while. That pursuit in the morning had prevented me from getting flowers. Maybe I should have picked some wild plants in the woods earlier.

The wind carried someone's words to me. It was a young male voice I quite couldn't pick up. He was asking his father to forgive him for not coming regularly. I looked around to find the Hyuuga ice cube praying near a tomb. I tried not to make too much noise when leaving the place. I didn't want to disturb his privacy. He looked at me, though and I bowed to him. He bowed back.

The masked man was still looking at the stone. He didn't pay attention to me. He seemed filled with silent grief, as always.

I was walking back to the village when the Hyuuga called me.

"Uchiha-San."

I stopped to face him, eyeing him warily. What did he want from me ?

"Good morning Hyuuga-San." I politely greeted him. "Do you need something from me?"

"I have a question for you."

I noted the slight flutter of one of his eyes. I didn't know his body language well, so I supposed he felt uneasy talking to me. Actually we weren't talkers at all. The only time we could have build a cordial relationship he told me my survival over the rest of my clan had been fated. That time I had wanted to punch him. I say wanted because I never reached him. I was sure I would have hit if he hadn't used his Juuken to counter my sighting style.

"Go ahead." I said blandly.

"Did you see anything unusual this morning ?"

Why was he asking this question ? It was as if _he_ had seen unusual things himself. Speaking of which, I still didn't where that green clothed ninja had gone. I furrowed my brows. Did he...

"Did _you_ see anything unusual this morning ?" I asked back and he twitched. "Let me guess, he was green, loud and extremely persistent."

Hyuuga-San clenched his teeth.

"You've seen him too." he said and he started walking. "Do you think he's looking for someone ?"

"You may have a point." I said. "He seemed thrilled by my morning training."

More than thrilled actually, I almost died of a heart attack. Hopefully I had heard a faint noise when he had come. It was a surprise : there usually was no one in my routine. Except for the gray-haired ninja, but he never looked at me. I didn't know he was aware of my presence. Then I remembered that Hyuuga-San was apologizing to his father for not coming.

"When and where did he chase you ?" he asked.

"I'd say from the outskirts of the shopping districts to the wood that led to the Uchiha compound. Around 06:45 I'd say."

"I had to flee from the Hyuuga training fields to avoid him." he sulked.

"You fled and came here." I said, connecting the dots. "He must have known I come here every morning. Whoever he is, he was willing to have us meet."

"You're... quite smart." he admitted reluctantly.

"Thanks." I answered stiffly.

"I should expect nothing less from a member of the Uchiha clan. Our clans are rivals for a reason."

His patronizing tone unnerved me. Who did he think he was ? I had been kind enough to answer him, even though I didn't like him.

"I'm sorry, but the only rivalry our clan has is with the Senju clan" I snapped back. "Like when they actually build this village from scratch."

Take that in you stiff Hyuuga pride !

"Yet none of these can be counted as clans, since there's only one Senju and three Uchiha alive." he answered evenly.

My blood was boiling inside of me. He was doing that on purpose !

"Would it bother you to have some respects for my fallen clansmen?" I hissed.

"I apologize if I hurt your feelings, Uchiha-San, but you were destined to live and they were..."

"Shut. Up." I growled.

"A good ninja must learn to keep his mind clear at any moment." he said.

He was right. I should stay calm when people insulted my pride and my people. Sure, why not ? I should stay totally calm, I was destined to stay alive and dream of the katana that missed my heart, over and over. My mind should be very clear because my brother was destined to jump in the Naka River and drown. And I should also tell Sasuke-Chan that it's totally right for us to be traumatized because his brother was fated to kill us all. I was taking this very well, with a clear mind.

He had rubbed my wounds so nicely. I would be impolite not to share the salt.

"Hyuuga-San, I also have a question for you."

"Ask it."

"Tell me if I'm wrong but, your father wasn't destined to live either ?"

He froze. His moonlike eyes staring at me with incredulity and mute anger. Were we destined to snap insults at each other every time we talked to each other ? He had noted I had been cruel to Barajou Mai yesterday, but that was all.

I felt ashamed. He had been right in a sense. A good ninja shouldn't retort like a child. But I wouldn't tell him that. I was too angry to react positively.

So I just turned my heels and started running, leaving him on the road.

"You're late again today." Sasuke-Chan said when I got home.

"Stuff happened." I answered, remains of anger flaring in my voice.

"Is... everything alright ?" he asked.

I leaned against the wall. No everything wasn't alright. I was distressed. I felt like crying, but I couldn't. I had to hold for Sasuke-Chan. I was his last anchor. So I shook my ideas back into place, put a smile on these crying lips and muttered :

"Yeah... Let's make you a bento and get to school."

"Hn."

Cooking emptied my head a bit. I let the water spray loudly in the sink, covering my thoughts. I took a quick shower afterwards, mixing my tears with the hot water. I hadn't cried for a while. Even with kohl and mascara my eyes looked a bit bad. It would do. I put the headband around my neck ; it made my locks even uglier otherwise.

Outside the sakura petals were flying. Tell me about romantism...

"Team 9 is made of Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee and Uchiha Yanagi." Mizuki-Sensei announced.

Say what ?

"I feel sorry for you." Tenten sympathized.

"I don't think this day could get worse." I sighed.

It could. It could because he was there. Green, smiling and shameless. His name was Maito Gai, and he was a Jounin of Konoha and apparently our new Sensei. He made us sit on a stone bench on the top of a tower. I refused to look at Hyuuga-San, he would have to apologize first.

"All right, starting today, the three of you are Genin." Sensei said. "I'd like to hear about your goals."

"I don't want to answer." Hyuuga-San answered, leaning on his seat.

Lee-San's hand shot in the air.

"Me! Me! Even if I can't use Ninjustu or Genjutsu, I want to prove that I can still become an excellent ninja !" he yelled."That means everything to me."

I was really impressed by his determination. I had no objection since he managed passing the Academy test. I cracked a slight smile. The other boy haughtily huffed. I stubbornly fixed a pillar, wanting to see neither Gai-Sensei, nor Hyuuga-San. Lee-San angrily stood up.

"What are you laughing at!? I'm serious !" he shouted "Even if it's only with Taijutsu, I'll carry out the job of ninja splendidly !"

"If you can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, then you're not really a ninja, are you ?" he retorted with a condescending smile. "Heh! They were saying it was the first time someone graduated from the Academy with only Taijutsu, right ? That doesn't mean it's amazing. It only means it's rare."

I hated when he did that ! Like he knew better ! Being a genius didn't kept him from being a brat. Lee-San seemed taken aback, before his shoulders went down.

"That was rude." I said. "What right do you have to judge his skills ?"

"You're the one talking about rudeness ? Let me laugh. At least I have one teammate with skills, even if it's just a tiny Uchiha."

"You're right, we're just the most powerful clan in the village. Your eyes can't compare to mine." I retorted. "Of course they would need a genius Hyuuga to match a tiny Uchiha."

"You're hot-blooded, I like that !" Gai-Sensei said. "If you enjoy your youth with a good rival, by competing with each other and improving then I'm sure you can all become splendid ninjas !"

He put his thumb up and his teeth glinted. Then he loudly laughed, fists on his hips. Lee-San was watching him with admiration. He was literally drinking his words.

"Allow me to demonstrate my words !" he beamed. "I'll show you my precious rival ! But first let's all introduce ourselves. All of you have been seeing me, and I've been seeing you. You all rise early and work hard. Tell your youthful companions about yourself."

"Then why don't you start ?" I suggested.

"Of course not, ladies always go first." he said. "Name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dream about the future."

"Okay... I'm Uchiha Yanagi. I like taking care of my cousin Sasuke-Chan. I don't like blood moon nor sunsets. My hobbies are photography and reading. I can't say I have a dream since I don't like dreaming either, but I want to ask questions to a certain man."

"Right..." Gai-Sensei said. "You have wonderful hobbies !"

"I saw you reparing your camera! It was impressive !" Lee added.

"Thanks." I said lightly.

"I'm Rock Lee ! My favorite words are effort, passion and love ! I like intensive Taijutsu training ! It's unconceivable not to like every kind of food. My hobbies are physical training ! I already told you about my dream !"

I may be impressed by his will, It was too much of Taijutsu. Yet, I didn't know what I would have done if I couldn't mold chakra. I probably would have died that night...

"Lee ! I'm so moved !" Gai-Sensei shouted and rivers of tears fell from his eyes.

"Thank you so much for your guidance Gai-Sensei !"

"What about you, Neji-Kun ?"

Given the way he cringed, there weren't much people calling him that. I wish I could tease him with it, but I was sure it would sound awful if I started calling him "Neji-Kun". The image of Barajou Mai and her friends lasciviously walking near him went to my mind. I imagined doing the same. Yeah, really bad idea.

"Do I have to do that ?" He asked.

"We're supposed to be a team, you know ? Not that I like it, but I'm stuck with you." I said. "I suppose we can have a better start than this morning."

It couldn't be worse anyway.

"I'm Hyuuga Neji. I like herring soba. I'm not fond of spicy food. My hobby is meditation. There's no need for a dream, since everything is fated."

Here we went again. I focused on the pillar again so I wouldn't snap at him.

"My name is Maito Gai. I'm Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey ! I like super spicy curry and udon ! It's impossible to dislike food, just as you said Lee ! My hobbies are repeated side-steps, and hitting focus mitts ! I wish for a rematch with my fated rival !"

Great, another Taijutsu freak...

Apparently he had even planned a meeting with said 'fated rival' this morning to show us his determination. I was really surprised to see the grey-haired shinobi arrive about twenty minutes later near the tower. Now that I looked at him again, he had covered one of his eyes with his headband and his hair truly defied gravity. He was reading an orange book while walking.

Hyuuga-San used his Byakugan, observing the two Jounin.

"That man... His hidden eye is a Sharingan." he said.

"Are you kidding me !" I said. "How did he get it ?"

"Neji-Kun, how far can you see ?" Lee-San asked as we observed them talking. "Can you guess what they say ?"

"Of course I can. I can even read his book at this distance." he bragged as I flickered my Sharingan on to read on their lips.

"His mask really is a pain to guess his words." I huffed in answer. "What's the book about."

"Looks like romance..." he started.

"Not really fit for a Shinobi", I noted, still looking at them. "Gai-Sensei says they've both won 48 matches against each other, so that the one they will have now will settle who is the better."

"How youthful of them !" Lee-San commented. "Neji-Kun, are you all right ? You look a bit red !"

My eyes went to the teenager's face. Why was he blushing that bad ? The glint in his eyes made me feel uneasy. Damn these teenage hormones ! I focused back on them. Gai-Sensei had shifted to a fighting stance, but his partner didn't seem motivated at all. He actually said their match would be janken.

Lee-San seemed totally devastated by Gai-Sensei's attitude, Hyuuga-San was getting excited by the book the man was reading. I thought it was a romance novel; was the story that good ? I should ask about it later.

"Yanagi-San, what are they saying next ?"

"Hum... Gai-Sensei says he would run 500 laps around the village on his hands if he lost. He's just like a child."

"Even if he's a Jounin, I don't know how he could do that..."

"You're sure you're doing fine Hyuuga-San?" I asked warily.

"This book is very documented it seems. I'm learning a lot."

"A well-documented romance novel, you don't seem like the type to read that kind of thing."

As expected Sensei lost the janken. I was quite sure that rival of his used his Sharingan just there to win no matter what. And here he went, walking on his hands around the village. After a while Lee-San decided to follow him. About that time, Hyuuga-San and I parted as well.

Our team had yet to be formed

* * *

 _Thanks for reading !  
_

 _Don't forget to leave a review to tell me if you liked this chapter (I don't have much which is too bad. Perhaps it's because it's an OC-centered fic...)_

 _Have a very nice day !_


	5. Improving

_"Some are born virtuous, some become virtuous. To be good by nature is indeed fortunate but to become good is like walking on a double-edged sword; it takes a longer time and is more painful." Umera Ahmed_

 **Chapter 5** : Improving

"The enemy is in approach" Neji-San prevented me in my communicator.

"Roger." I said signing to Gai-Sensei.

We had broken up in two teams to trail the bandits. They thought they could escape from us ? What an error. We had a Byakugan and a Sharingan in our team. It was impossible for us to lose.

I leaped from my branch in silence. I watched the way Gai-Sensei was positioning his body. How did he managed his moves ? I always used chakra to reduce the sound and the shocks of my body when I landed, but he didn't. Or rether he didn't seem to. I really wanted to understand how he managed that. My ees didn't seem to pick it up.

People seem to think Sharingan offers us shortcuts. It isn't really true. It's not because you've understood something in your mind that you can reproduce it. The Jounin had shown me how hard it actually was to copy and reproduce. He wanted me to get better and better. Analyze, copy and redo were the basics. There was only training left after that.

We silently jumped from tree's to trees, ready to block their path. I was thinking of my options. Should I use a Genjutsu or a Katon on them ? Maybe I should check what Gai-Sensei suggested before...

Dynamic Entry !" he bellowed, his feet hitting a man in the face as he landed.

Well, that worked too... I followed his lead by a shower or shuriken. Crossing my fingers, I multiplied them. None of the blades were illusionary. It had been a pain learning the Shadow shuriken Jutsu, but I had managed.

Their group dispersed as their leader fell drooling, properly knocked out by Sensei. Three of them fell under Neji-San's divination and two others were severely hit by Lee-San. In the middle of my shuriken, Gai-Sensei moved. He was so efficient, never wasting a move of chakra. My sharingan was registering everything. And I learn. What was efficient. What was not. How they should move.

Two people were moving towards me. I made a small step on the right avoiding the thrust of a sword. A sweep of my leg mowed the other down. I jumped above his body, efficiently blocking the swordsman again. A foot landed, the sole of the other hit his throat harshly. He gasped loudly, spitting blood as he drew back. The one on the floor tried to grab me but he was way too slow. I finished my kicking move by hitting him in the head.

A mere minute had passed.

"I got the stolen amulet." Neji-San said.

"What do we do with them, Sensei ?" I asked. "Do we tie them up ?"

"There should be some cells in the next town" he said. "Knock them out and take one each."

There was nine bandits. It was quite unusual to see kids carrying full gown men on their back. It was especially unusual to have a man running around with five unconscious men on his shoulder.

These rank C missions seemed to go well. They weren't thrilling, since our opponents hadn't much fighting experience, but they allowed us to go outside Konoha. This was our third, and it had led us deep in the west of the Fire country. The only time I had never travelled outside the village. Travels had always been between wih Father and Onii-San. I was too young to remember them.

Not that I particularly wished to remember my childhood. I was too busy to daydream, and I made mysef busy not to dream.

I wished we could go back to Konoha soon. I had just missed Sasuke's birthday. I wanted to offer him a maintenance kit with a sharpener. I hoped he had improved his cooking. Lest time I was gone for a week he had burned a whole salmon. At least it was crispy, though a little bit on the black side.

We gave our prisoners to the local sheriff.

"It's too late for returning to Konoha." Neji-San said.

"Gai-Sensei ! I suggest we run as fast as we can !"

"I approve of your youthful idea, Lee ! Unfortunately Neji is right."

"Fine ! Then I will do 150 push-ups instead."

"Here he goes again." I sighed.

"That's the spirit, Lee ! I'll train with you ! If any of us fails, I will run 200 laps around the town."

"They don't know how to keep a low profile, do they ?" I asked Neji-San.

"Were you expecting anything different ?"

"But before let me make some reservation in the Inn tonight."

We were supposed to meet there afterwards. Because we had nothing better to do, Neji-San reluctantly suggested we sparred. This was awkward. We usually found other partners in our free time, or tried to work in solo. But we were slowly reaching a consensus : he didn't talk about my family and I didn't retorted something mean about his father.

He won the spar. Mostly because I wasn't using any Jutsu. If I had been... well I would probably have lost anyway. He was fast and he reached far. I couldn't hope hitting him efficiently without him closing my tenketsu. At least our spar lasted longer than it used to do. I was particularly proud of the few bruises I had left in his white skin. They matched the purple dots on my arms.

"I hate the numb feeling afterwards." I grumbled as we were walking back to the town.

"I don't suppose you'll let me open them for you." he said.

"I have no will to feel your fingers on my skin again." I pouted.

"Then I suggest you get faster. Then again you'll never improve enough to beat me. "

"Whatever you say."

"Things were written that way."

"Watch me kicking your ass next time !"

He had a slight disbelieving smirk and I felt something flutter inside of me. I looked away, feeling a bit hot. Looking at his moonlike eyes was disturbing. Not mentionning

I stretched as we entered the inn. Gai-Sensei and Lee-San were already in the room. I claimed the bathroom first. Gai-Sensei gave the boys another lecture about peeping on women. At least I was about sure I would never have problem with these guys. Lee-San was too much of a gentleman, and Neji-San wouldn't dare.

I watched my silhouette in the mirror. I was sure I had grown a centimeter or two, but the most important detail was my frame. I had gained muscles. I used to be rather thin, but all these Taijutsu trainings had thickened them. I even had abs under my flat stomach. I let myself relax in the shower as I rubbed the soap on my body. Damn this puberty and these hormones peaks. Why did I have to live next to two teenage boys ? I couldn't quite understand this hunger inside of me when my eyes sometimes landed on them.

My hands travelled down to my inner thighs. I had felt hot and bothered the whole fight with Neji-San and I was about sure he knew about it. Fortunately he said nothing about it. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall, indulging myself a little pleasure. Years living with Sasuke had taught me how to remain silent while wiggling my fingers.

The evening went well. We played 20 questions with ourselves. It's not particularly easy to guess concepts like youthfulness. I was getting along better with the boys. It felt good somehow. I hadn't played for ages. I did with Sasuke-Chan when I was more innocent. With my team I wasn't crushed by responsabilites too much, I had time to play. I coud be a kid again.

I remember looking at the window at some point of the night, thinking of before. Life wasn't the best, but it was good enough. Onii-Chan had no time for me, allowing lesser clanmembers to adopt the daughter of Uchiha Kagami. He was always with Itachi-Sama, and I was following with Sasuke, too young to star with the too genius, too old to bond fully with my young cousin. I was only tree years younger than the clan heir, yet he seemed so far away.

"Are you thinking of them ?" Neji-San had whispered while Lee-San and Gai-Sensei were kindly reminded by the owner there was other people sleeping in the other rooms.

I couldn't tell why I had these tears in my eyes.

 _Black and red in my head._

 _It had been a while since I had these visions. I felt the excruciating pain in my flank. I had to remind myself they are unreal._

 _I want to focus chakra to break the jutsu bit it's hard. It's really hard._

 _That night it seems a little bit easier. Maybe I got better._

 _I'm still bleeding, feeble and frightened. There's a maelstrom of emotion in the body of the girl I used to be. My eyes travel to the hilt of the katana. Who was on the other side ? I see a gloved hand holding it._

 _My blood is red. His hand is black._

 _For the first time in years there's someone else with me in this dream._

 _The blade had gone through my body, tracing a thick scar on my breast, opening a wound on the other side. It pinned me to the tree. How deep is it in the bark ? What if... What if..._

 _I shouted in pain as my fist connected with a faceless man._

I opened my eyes in the Inn. My eyes were hurting me and I was crying. Everything around me was in grey tones.

Oh no ! It had happened again !

I threw the covers down the bed. They went as solid as stone as soon as they weren't around my body. My head was killing me.

Fighting that everlasting Genjutsu really was tricky. It inflicted me lots of pain whatever I tried. But I couldn't escape from it except with the help of other people. It was the first time I have had the dream around my teammates. The Yamanaka doctor that was following me had said I could prevent my mind from dreaming of what had happened with a few mental exercises. It was a small ritual I did before sleeping and it worked quite well.

Obviously it had failed.

So now what should I do ?

Last time this situation happened it was about two month ago, and I only freed myself because this seemed to be a Jutsu and I have fell from chakra exhaustion. Given the fact that I was miles away from the village, I had no desire to be carried back by Gai-Sensei.

The doctor had said there had been nothing wrong with my eyes, but there had to be. I was _fucking_ bleeding !

I went to the bathroom to clean my face. I hoped fresh water would lessen the pounding in my head. Hopefully the door had been left ajar and I managed to squeeze inside the bathroom. I stopped in front of the tap. Whatever was happening, I had no way to influence things that weren't directly in contact with me.

Maybe if I focused some chakra in my hand I could use the tap ?

I directed the chakra flow inside my fingers. They went through the metal.

Wait, what ?

Did I just...

I tried on the door. I went through it. I focused my chakra inside my whole arm. I went through even further. Wicked !

The most incredible thing was that I had no feeling of the part of me that was 'inside' the wood. I moved my fingers. I could feel and direct my arm, so the nervous messages were still there. I retracted my arm. I didn't know whether I would get stuck in the wood or if my arm would be cut in two if I stopped the jutsu. Actually I didn't want to test that.

Plus my head was still hurting me. I looked at myself in the mirror. Thin blood streams had rolled on my face. My sharingan looked like a flower, a black flower outlined in red. I could feel the amount of chakra I was unconsciously using : way more than with a normal Sharingan ! If only I could reduce the flow...

Pain eased immediately. I hadn't been aware of the silence I was in until the soft sounds of the inn hit me. I was aware of the snoring in the other room. I was aware of the water dripping in the next room. I was aware of the wind in the trees outside.

I washed the blood in my face, properly shutting my Sharingan off.

I was aware of the soft steps of Neji-San behind me ! I twirled, throwing my towel at him. He pushed it away with one of his forearms before grabbing my right fist in his hand. I stopped my other fist right before his chest. We both know he wouldn't have blocked it. We both relaxed.

"How did you do that ?" he asked lowly.

"Did what ?" I whispered back.

"You were having a nightmare, then you disappeared. I saw your sheets move, but nothing else. I couldn't sense you at all, even with my Byakugan on. So what did you do ?"

So that's how I could use this ability... Too bad I had to break from a Genjutsu anchored in my mind and suffer monstrous headaches to maintain it.

Hey, I knew something Neji Hyuuga didn't !

"I'm not telling you." I answered. "Let's go back to bed."

I went back to the room, deeply thinking about the experience. That could be very useful if I could use this weird Sharingan without these major inconvenient. I wasn't aware there was other stages than having three tomoe.

Then it hit me.

"Hyuuga Neji, are you watching me sleep ?" I muttered with a touch of anger.

He brushed past me.

"I'm not telling you." he mimicked me.

Gai-Sensei suggested we youthfully took our flirting out of the room. I was blushing mad when I lied down on my bed. Me, flirting with a Hyuuga ? Unconceivable. Both of us were too close to the main family of our clan to marry with outsiders. I supposed his wedding had been planned for years. As for mine, I was grateful they hadn't named Sasuke-Chan for it, I still had the opportunity to reject him. Not that such things mattered.

There was no further incident by the time we went back to Konoha. Because it was only the beginning of the afternoon, I went to the Administration Tower to get access to my clan's archive. It bothered me that I had to tell them why I wanted access. Officially they couldn't prevent me to access them, but they could refuse to give me the key. I had no mean to make them change their mind.

There was lots of memories that came back to my mind as I opened several boxes to check their content.I took some stuff from there like an old pendant Father had offered Mother for their marriage and Brother's tanto. I had an hesitation seeing my old guitare lying there as well. The teams who had cleaned the compound had put it with all my stepfamily's properties. I remember playing some music at the time, back when I had been taught how to be a nice family girl.

I had no idea of what I wanted to be. I hadn't had much ideas since that time. Everyone was wanting things from me. Somehow it was a good thing some of my people weren't there anymore. I wanted to show my talent and learn many things, and it pleased my adopted mother. They had obviously taken me in to augment their prestige (my adopted father had gotten more popular within the clan, hadn't he ?). But I had this voice in the back of my head who wanted Onii-Chan back. My talent worried him for an unknown reason. My stepfamily, the elders of the clan and Fugaku-Sama had told me several times about how much I could gain by honing my powers. At the time I decided I would stop improving too fast, so I would get my brother back.

Today I couldn't afford this luxury without a clan, and Sasuke-Chan was counting on me.

I finally stop ressassing memories to get to work. I was glad they had kept the Archives. I was quite sure the documents had been copied, at least those which could be. Most of the textes had been written for people who had the Sharingan. And that wasn't even a third of our clansmen. It was there that I learned about the existence of the Mangekyô Sharingan. It was some sort of a better Sharingan activated by losing a loved one. I had been there when Father passed away, though it didn't happened as peacefully as the official reports said.

I found nothing about everlasting Genjutsu. The powers of the Mangekyô Sharingan were different for every person, and there wasn't much documents about it. Actually everything I had found was on the Clan wars, and half of it was witten in gibberish. I suspected I would have to activate my own Mangekyô to read it. Even if I somehow managed to fall asleep here and then dream, there was no way I could look up the books with that power of mine.

A deadend for now, then.

In the late afternoon I decided to buy Sasuke-Chan's present. I also bought a new outfit for myself. The old one had started getting a bit small. I opted for a short back kimono and black short pants. A large burgundy leather obi closed my top. I placed the short sword in the back. I didn't look half bad in these. It really was a pain finding fitting clothes.

Sasuke-Chan went home later. I had set the tables making healthy food; I had tried my best (which wasn't much but he didn't mind) and he seemed happy. I remember the first birthday we celebrated. It had been mine, and we had been used to have Itachi-Sama, Sasuke-Chan and Onii-San at my adopted family's home (such an honor for them). That year we had bought a small cake and ate it between ourselves. Owning half of it made me want to cry.

Last year I had managed to have some of his classmates over. It had felt awkward. The Hyuuga heir was a timid girl, and I wasn't fond of her cousin at the time. The Yamanaka girl was gloating about being the best kunoichi and tried to claim Sasuke-Chan as a husband. As for the boys it seemed I had made a mistake by having all these clan heir in the appartment. The Aburame was creepy but quiet ; he had been the only one Sasuke-Chan had shown a slight interest for, as well as the Nara guy when he hadn't been half asleep on his chair. Most of the food was eaten by the Aburame, but it didn't matter since his mother gave us tons of sweets. The Inuzuka and the Kyuubi boy were exhausting (Sasuke-Chan actually wished to murder me because of them), shouting and running around. The dog boy was even teasing me in an annoying manner (Sasuke-Chan said he had broken his nose the next day, no idea why).

This year I had no time to organize another event of that scale (especially with my rank C missions). Sasuke-Chan actually surprised me when he said some of the boys actually dared asking if we would throw a party this year again. He also said most of the asking had been done by the Inuzuka and the Uzumaki. I wasn't much surprused. I remember talking to them sometimes when meeting them in the Academy. I had nothing against Uzumaki Naruto. My family had said nothing about rejecting him (well they didn't want me to hang with civilians or lesser clanmembers), and I remember Itachi-Sama advising his brother and I not to seclude the boy.

That night I took a look at my brother's sword as I was sharpening it. I tried waving it around in the living room, but I definitely hadn't enough space to try some moves. I had never learned any sword technique, so I was basically using it like I would use a long kunai. I decided to try tomorrow during my solo training.

Looking at the ceiling I'm thinking. Sasuke-Chan never told me about Itachi-Sama, but I was sure he had achieved the Mangekyô Sharingan stage. There was no way he could have done such an impressive Genjutsu on his brother without it. Who did he see die ? Was it before or after he...

I tried chasing the disturbing ideas from my mind. I looked at my reflection on the mirror. What if I tried channeling more chakra in my eyes ? My Sharingan twirled on. I kept increasing the amount of chakra. More. More.

I started feeling pain in my eyes.

"Come on... Come on !" I whispered to my reflection.

Nothing happened. Shit.

I guess I still had a long way to go.

I went back to my bed with a big headache. It wouldn't work.

"Stop sulking and sleep, please." a half-asleep voice told me from the other room.

"Brat." I answered.

"Will you stop calling me that ? I just gained one year." he reminded me.

"Hum... No." I answered.

I couldn't sleep. Like at all. I just couldn't. I was rolling in my civers, unable to find a comfortable position. Morning found me still reading scrolls on my bed.

If I look half as bad as I felt during training, then I guess why Neji-San was looking at me weirdly. I still had a slight headache, trying and trying to activate this second Sharingan stage without success. Damn it seemed so easy on the paper, especially since I had already completed the first requirement. So what was I missing ?

No need to say I couldn't focus enough. Both Neji-San and Lee-San beat me up today.

"If you had trained instead of choosing clothes, it wouldn't have happened." the Hyuuga had told me.

"Everyone has days off. Get youthful again, Yanagi-San !" Lee-San suggested.

I could feel the tanto in my back. The sheath felt rather hard, especially when boys land kicks on it. I looked the way the blade glimmered in the sunrays. Onii-San combined it with fire attacks. I thought it looked cool.

"Nice weapon, Yanagi !" Gai-Sensei complimented me.

"It was my brother's." I said and it sounded off somehow.

"I see. Would you like to test it a bit today while Neji and Lee have a go at each other ?"

"I'm not sure." I answered, watching them fight. "I think it's better if I only get to look for now. I'm not feeling extremely well today."

"Then rest well. When you feel better, I suggest you look for Hayate Gekko. He's a Chuunin specialized in swordsmanship. But perhaps you'd prefer looking for my fated rival. As painful as it is, I guess he might have more answers than me."

How he had guessed my Sharingan problems was beyond me ? Maybe he has asked people at the tower, but I was fairly certain he didn't. One of the impressive things about Gai-Sensei was the way he observed people. He didn't have a dôjutsu, yet he could pick up the signals the body emitted like no one. I was quite sure he could detect a Henge by looking at the body language.

How was Gai-Sensei so strong while he was just a Genjutsu master ?

"That's because I'm filled with the power of youth !"

I snorted in answer.

Still I had to get stronger and I had no time. Three months had passed since my graduation. A few more and Sasuke-Chan would be old enough to get his own Genin team. And then he would probably start chasing his brother.

I had no time to grow. I wanted to be already grown.

I watched the boys fighting each other. Lee-San was trying hard to get to Neji. I felt the information filling my mind. Without knowing I would soon move like him when I would land a hit. Or maybe would I dance around like Neji-San, not caring about the powerful hits that went around me. I was learning and learning again.

"I don't want you to tell the boys about that, but it seems like you'll be attending the next Chuunin exam." Sensei said.

I was flabbergasted. We hadn't the level. We had only gone to a handful of D rank mission and three easy rank C. There was no way I could have the level to be a Chuunin yet.

"How is that possible ? I mean, we don't work really well as a team, yet. And individually we don't have the level. We are clearly missing in several areas. Why did you suggest that ?"

He didn't answer, but I clearly saw the tension in his spine. Someone was forcing his hand. I remember when I had taunted him at the bell test. I knew he hadn't the power to send us back to the Academy (well he could have send Lee-San back with a little bit of persuasion on his side). The village would have refused to send an Uchiha or a Hyuuga in the Academy. They would want us battle-ready as soon as possible.

"Is there such an urgency to have us on the field ?" I asked. "Are there political stuff happening ? Should we worry ?"

"Yanagi, it wasn't a 'you' as in 'Team 9'. The village wants an Uchiha officer."

My eyes widened. What the...

"I'm truly sorry. I know I am failing as a teacher, but I can't protect you from them. I managed to delay them, but my hands are tied."

"When you say 'them'..." I started.

"Yanagi, listen to me."

We watched the match in silence. Lee-San had managed to block most of Neji-San's attack for now. There was a pattern on the Hyuuga attacks, I knew. What I really wanted to know was to anticipate his moves from the first muscle twitch. A fist generally comes from the shoulder and the hip.

"I wish I wasn't the one to teach you this. I supposed you would have learn some ropes in your clan, but... Anyway, Konoha has a really neat political agenda. For now it is considered to be the most powerful hidden village. To keep that place in time of peace, we have to show our talents at the Chuunin exams. This is where nobles and minor countries go to see who they should support."

"In other words they want to show they still have powerful clans in Konoha, even with the massacre. Politics sucks. But I get what you mean. The same things happens inside of clans, you know ? So when Itachi-Sama had started to act 'oddly' and Onii-San died..."

"I'm truly sorry about you and your cousin."

"Don't be. If you really were you would have tried harder to protect me. Now I have to get stronger for an exam I can't pass. Thanks a lot Sensei." I bitterly retorted.

Neji-San unsurprisingly won the round. Gai-Sensei made us practice our throws. I was glad I trained so often with Tenten. She really was a weapon mistress. I'd just needed to pick her moves precisely and then train. Strength and angle varied at every throw, but it was just a question of calculus after that.

I was picking my weapons when Gai-Sensei decided to finish our conversation.

"The exam will be next January, in Water Country."

"Even more great." I sarcastically reacted. "I get to be evaluated in a place where Kekkei Genkai are seen as threats. They wiped clans there too. Wait, did the village thought that would make me sympathize with the other contestants ?"

"Stop being so negative and listen to me. I'm sure you can make it. You have six months before getting there. It's not a problem if you don't manage. Many people don't succeed at first. I didn't."

"Well it seems that isn't the case for Uchiha." I sulked. "Why me ? I'm not that strong or smart ? Neji-San's the genius in our team."

"I'm not letting you go because of your abilities. I'm letting you go because of your quest."

"Huh ?"

"You're looking for the man who destroyed your life. You really think you'll be able to find and question him that easily ? You would have gone sooner or later. Grief makes you do things you'll regret. But I don't think I'll be able to reach you with my words. So go ahead and face danger. Face it until you can dream again."

He wasn't stopping me. He thought my quest was silly, but he wasn't stopping me.

Because once I'll have my answers, what will I do next ?

I was doing all this to save Sasuke-Chan's life. What about mine ?

"Shinobi are people who make hard choices. I hope you'll make yours wisely."

Six months to go. Only six.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading !  
_

 _Don't forget to leave a review :)_


	6. Teach me to be strong

_« Every man who rises above the common level has received two educations: the first from his teachers; the second, more personal and important, from himself. » Edward Gibbon_  
 **Chapter 6 : Teach me to be strong**

I woke up early this morning. I felt exhaustion in every of my bones. Gai-Sensei had me fight the boys over and over again. I felt sore. Every move was like a torture. But I wouldn't flinch. I was an Uchiha, and I had that big chunk of pride inside of me.

I couldn't fail. And certainly not to a Hyuuga and a civilian boy who couldn't mold chakra.

Pride was a good thing sometimes. When you become exhausted, it's your muscles who fell first. After that you only have your spirit to hold. Hopefully I had nice reserves of chakra. Brother had had them as well, it helped him being even with Itachi-Sama when they sparred. I put on a T-shirt, some ugly grey sweatpants and went running.

Running always cleansed my mind. I just focused on the air entering my lungs and on my strides. I think running was the thing that I had missed the most when in the hospital, right after the Massacre. I was left with only a functional lung for a while, and my grades in Taijutsu had dropped. Well I don't actually remember this period clearly.

Sometimes Tenten tells me I changed quite a bit since it happened. Other people said the same, even my teammates. Maybe I was more sociable before. Now I just focused on everything that was around me. Focusing helped not thinking of the past. Whenever I would think of before, my surroundings would dim and get black and red. How many times did I found myself clutching my camera with trembling fingers, trying to get a grasp of the real world?

Focusing on tasks and staying efficient. Staying at the top like a true Uchiha should do. There weren't much I could do : I had to hold for Sasuke-Chan, I had to. Because my mind was chaotic, and I had no way to set it right. The only thing I could do was keeping the dreams away. But with the fatigue I was starting to fail…

Seems like someone wanted to tire me to the bones. My body would hold. I had been stitched pretty well. A pierced lung, broken bones, tiredness, chakra could repair anything. Only the mind was left, and mine was a twirling muddle.

I focused on my running. I had to hold for Sasuke-Chan. If I was going crazy, who would be there for him? He had already filled with revenge. Next time he will go all emo and have nice little flirts with death. I didn't need us to be more messed up. I just wanted us to be whole again.

Someone waved at me and started running with me.

"Sasuke's Nee-chan, hello !" Naruto-Kun cheerfully greeted me.

I slightly smiled. That kid really had a talent to brighten people's days. I slowed my pace with me to adjust it to his little legs.

"Hello Naruto-Kun." I said. "It's a bit early for you, isn't it?"

"Not really…" he said.

His voice was trailing. He was obviously going to tell me something. I wasn't much surprised. I always ran on the streets near his flat, so it wasn't rare for us to greet each other.

"Hey! Can I ask something?"

"Go ahead."

"Are ninjas always bruised that way?"

He gestured at my arms. All my Tenketsu had been harshly hit my the Hyuuga prodigy several times. He didn't have to use his Byakugan to see them since he had hit me so much already. It drew weird patterns of my white skin. He had attainted them all, even though I managed to block or avoid most of the hits. That meant how much times Gai-Sensei had us go at each other. Lee had left me some nasty bruises as well. My had troubles clenching my right fist, and one of my shoulders was still really stiff.

"I'm sparring a lot with my partners. I must not be good enough at avoiding, that's all." I joked.

"Did you beat them up as well?"

I smiled mischievously. They had their fair share of blows as well. And I still wasn't counting the bruises. The blonde beamed at me in return. It felt nice to have someone like that to talk to. Usually Tenten or Lee-San brightened my day, even though the girl was much softer and the boy often brought desperations and face palms.

"And uh… do you think you could teach me…"

The rest of his sentence was lost to my ears. Hopefully I could read lips. Naruto-Kun seemed to hold my cousin into high esteem. He wanted to be better than him at school. Well his actual words were 'how to beat the crap out of your bastard of a cousin'.

"Focus on your basics first, boy." I said. "We'll see if you're worth it."

He pouted. Apparently battles to him were like having badass techniques. Well I didn't expect much of an Academy student. Especially the dead last of the class. How many times haven't I heard about Sasuke-Chan being partnered with him to have teams of even level in the class?

"I mean it. If you don't work on your basics, you will have nothing. What are your worst classes?"

"Chakra control and Genjutsu." He spat.

"Well I heard you had lots of chakra. It's hard to control everything, but the main point is to produce the right quantity to avoid waste of energy. Then you have to learn how to direct it. Genjustu is trickier. It requires a particular set of mind, and I don't think you have it."

"Why should I. It sucks and my chatora doesn't do what I want."

"It's chakra, Naruto-Kun." I sighed.

I don't think I'll ever be able to teach kids at all. We clearly didn't think the same.

I finished my jog near the cemetery road. There I slowed down and started walking, breathing profoundly.

"You're making noise while breathing." He noted.

I cringed slightly. Chakra could heal everything, but scarred remained when the medics weren't that good. Konoha may have the best medical facilities of all ninja villages, the individual skills weren't so great. Maybe that was because of Tsunade-Sama's departure. Why I knew about her? Probably because she was Tenten's idol. A shame her chakra control was too poor to become a medic. As for me, I never thought of going on that path. There was only a few medics among the Uchiha clan, mostly because we had needed a specialized optometrist that wasn't a Hyuuga. Most of our clan members had been policemen anyway.

"It's an old scar." I explained, hiding my feelings.

I was getting good at fooling people. After all, how could I not? I had to convince myself I wasn't going half crazy. Plus, most of my Genjutsu training consisted in getting to know human nature. It was easy to fool them if you gave them the right signals, and there was no need to fake them with chakra.

"Cool!" he muttered. "Can I see it?"

"No, you can't."

He pouted in answer. Away from us I could distinguish the lonely silhouette of Hatake Kakashi.

"Why so?" he asked. "Cool ninjas have cool scars, right?"

I smiled sadly, looking away.

"I think you're well placed to know the worst scars are the invisible ones." I muttered.

He kept silent until he recognized the graves.

"Are you visiting someone?" he asked with a bit of embarrassment.

"Yeah…"

Being an orphan he could never give his greeting to his family. I believed there was a few Uzumaki graves near my clan's. Of course there was the one of Mito-Sama, the wife of the first Hokage. I bet there was some other we could stop near and pray.

I remembered Gai-Sensei telling me he would have a talk with his fated rival regarding my education. The man turned his head when he arrived. I frowned as his look fell on Naruto-Kun. For mere seconds he showed surprise, confusion and an expression akin to guilt. Then his grey eye fell on me like he was expecting something.

I would ask nothing from him here. It was a time and a place to pray for our fallen relatives.

Naruto-Kun's hand was suddenly inside mine as we walked through the tombstones. His fingers slightly trembled. I should be here with Sasuke more often. Maybe it would do him good. Itachi-Sama's birthday was approaching and the boy was going to be a pain, like every other year.

"Father, Mother, Onii-San, let me introduce you to Uzumaki Naruto." I said wen we stopped before the graves and started praying. "He's a really nice boy. You would have like him, Nii-san. He really has the same cheerfulness as you."

The boy was speechless. I wasn't finished. Today I felt like praying to another tomb I seldom came to, even though I cleaned it like I cleaned the other tombs of my clan. While walking I showed the boy all the headstones that belong to my clan, all the people that weren't anymore.

"Good morning Fugaku-Sama, Mikoto-Sama. I'm sorry I am not here with your younger son. Sasuke-Chan is doing really well. I think he can even count on Naruto-Kun who's here with me. I hope they'll get to know each other better."

I nudged Naruto-Kun for him to say a few things. He muttered a prayer I didn't quite hear. I think he was starting to get the grumpiness of my cousin, as well as the aura of sadness around me. I felt like adding something else.

"I trust that your oldest son is fine. I wish he is well, wherever he might be." I whispered to the wind.

A crow croaked in a tree before flying away. I prayed a bit more.

Then we went to the nearest Uzumaki grave. I thought there would be more than one. Yet the Uzumaki clan had been mostly living in Whirlpool Country, not in Fire country. There was only this Uzumaki Kushina lying here.

"Hello, Uzumaki Kushina-San. I'm afraid we don't know each other, neither had we met before. But I have this boy with me who belongs to your clan. I wish you could bless him from where you are." I prayed.

Naruto-Kun didn't talk that time, but his hand was hanging on my shirt. He was trembling, and I was mostly sure he was crying. I said nothing. I had no tears to cry. I had never cried for our dead. I wasn't able to.

"Let's go back to the village. I'll treat you some breakfast." I said to the boy.

He nodded in silence.

We went near the KIA stone. The old ANBU was gone.

Sasuke-Chan didn't look really happy when I introduced his classmate into our house.

"What's he doing here!" he complained.

"I invited him. He came to train with me and even gave his respects to our ancestors. Two thinks you should do more often young man."

Sasuke-Chan looked away embarrassed. Naruto-Kun wore a victorious smile on his lips.

"You shouldn't mock, Uzumaki Naruto. I trust you're not doing much of these either. Now I'll have to prepare myself for today's training. I trust you with the rice cooker boys. And no fighting."

I went inside the bathroom. The bruises looked nastier under the crude light. They didn't extend to my exposed skin. There were black and blue spots everywhere. There was even burn marks on my hands and around my lips.

As I stood under the water, I felt the world twirling in black and blue. I vomited a bit of bile. My control was wearing thin. Shit! I waited for it to pass, hoping none of the boys had heard.

I had to hold.

I dressed in my kunoichi attire, noticing how stiff my chest had gone these days. Damn! I'll probably have to deal with hormones pikes on top of that! My period should start in about two days. I put pads in my pouch, just in case.

In the mirror I checked the bruises on my neck. I felt blushing. The dark marks of Neji-San's fingers looked like hickeys. I felt like blushing. Thanks hormones! My hair was getting long these days, maybe I would be able to hide the ecchymosis in a few months.

The breakfast was a happy one for once. I took the time to bring the boys to their classes, greeting the people I knew. My Hyuuga teammate was there too. Hinata-San bowed to me and I did the same.

"Hey, hey! Who's the best between you two?" Naruto-Kun suddenly asked.

I was a little taken aback by the question. His enthusiasm seems to embarrass the Hyuuga heir who went all red. Oh. Preteen love, I see.

"I think we're equal." I suggested.

"Probably her." Neji-San said at the same time.

I blinked. What did he just say? I might have heard wrong.

"Of course it would be my cousin." Sasuke-Chan said with a knowing voice.

"N…Neji-Nii-San is strong as well." Hinata-Sama stuttered.

"That answers nothing!" Naruto-Kun complained.

"We shouldn't go at each other for no reason." Neji-San said.

"I concur, that wouldn't be very mature."

"And why wouldn't you demonstrate your clan's Taijutsu techniques in front of the class?" said Iruka-Sensei as he entered the class.

Neji-San and I both nodded to the Chuunin. I checked the clock, ignoring it's annoying ticking.

"We might be late for training." I remarked.

"Indeed." Neji-San said. "In fact we already are."

"It won't change much. Gai-Sensei and Lee-San will probably find some excitement without us. We can spare some of our time to show these children to work a little bit more."

Most of them had probably no idea there would only be nine people chosen through them to train under a Jounin Sensei. Given there was children from various clans of Konoha and that seven were heirs, it left only one spot (Naruto being the Kyuubi's vessel will be the other). Genin corps weren't much fun, according to Tenten, and I doubted much of them would enroll in Administration or in medical courses.

Someone coughed near us. I would have jumped if it wasn't for the self-control I had gained around the two Taijutsu freaks. My eyes embraced the form of the Chuunin. Black haired, yellowish skin like he was sick, black rings against the eyes. Yet the way he walked. He had a sword in his back.

"Would I be wrong if I assume you're Hayate Gekko?" I politely asked.

"I am, Yanagi-San. Your Sensei said you might want to learn swordsmanship." He managed without coughing.

"I am grateful you are considering teaching me."

"I have never taught anyone before." He said. "Is that a tanto in your back?"

He had good eyes. I showed him brother's short sword and he examined it with respect.

"It is a fine weapon. But even though you can use it in battle, I would advise against it. Your frame isn't good for it is a man's weapon."

"It was my brother's." I said.

Near us, Sasuke-Chan was staring.

"Iruka, you seemed interested in a hand-to-hand combat, were you not? I'll have you two fight, I need to see how you move."

"I don't like being late." Neji-San sighed.

"Say you don't want everyone else to see me beat your ass." I teased.

"Heh, as if it would be that easy." He taunted back.

Next thing I knew I was jumping backwards to stay out of range. I was at a big disadvantage: I doubted they would allow me to use a Katon Jutsu inside here. Well that also meant he wouldn't use his Kaiten to block me.

"Stick to Taijutsu as much as possible." Iruka said. "All of you can look at these two Genin, this is the level you will be asked to enter the Genin Tems, and not the Corpse. Understood?"

"Hai, Sensei!" they chorused.

I had no time to get distracted. Neji-San was almost on me and I still hadn't landed. He missed me of a few inches. I grabbed a desk and turned my Sharingan on while wheeling above a student. I had to be conscious of them too: they might not be fast enough to avoid me. Even though I could try not to hurt them, I had lots of inertia with my training weights.

Right, now I had to place myself for the Uchiha katas.

Our clan hadn't much of Taijutsu techniques. Most of them were fan dances for the women. I could imitate them by hitting with backhands and elbows instead but it was weird. If the Hyuuga's moves were all about the arms, ours were about footwork.

We made it to the dais still half flying. Hinata-Sama, Sasuke-Chan and Naruto-Kun hadn't had the time to take a seat yet. I saw the veins pulsing around Neji-San's eyes. The fun had begun.

"Hakke rokujūyon shō!" he called as he was striking two jabs at me. "Hakke nii shō!"

I avoided the lower blow by a simple step on the side while parring the upper blow. I was totally focused when the next two hits aimed at my shoulders. I knew he was restraining himself a bit like I was: no ninja should reveal whole, even before his peers. I parred them as well.

"Yon shō!" He announced while striking slightly faster." Hachi shō!"

His chakra was glowing on his fingertips like micro chakra blades. There was no mean to block his wrists, because that would only expose me. Instead I was dancing around him, parring and avoiding him. Stepping away, turning my foot, jumping… I had learned these moves by heart to please my stepfamily. I could reproduce them how I wanted. But today It wasn't about gracefulness.

"Hachi shō!"

Eight blows were avoided and he went even faster. My circular kick caught him behind the knee, properly tripping him. I could predict where he was hitting.

"Jūroku shō!"

Two of the sixteen hit my upper arm and my thigh. I felt numb on the spots he touched me. I kept going.

"Sanjūnii shō!"

Tree had me on the right leg as I carefully tried a high kick. I clenched my teeth, using his arms as a bearing surface and managed to catch his head on a scissors hold. I quickly drew away because there was no point choking him for real. I just wanted to show him I would have succeeded if I had done so. My retreat allowed him to close a Tenkestu in my flank and two in my back. My stiff shoulder felt like moving a block of rick.

He made a pig step in my direction. I braced myself as the students were cheering for us.

""Rokujūyon shō!"

I had been slowed down quite a bit, but not enough to be impaired too much. Though I decided to be careful and put some distance between us. He followed. We danced together again. I was avoiding his blows with a smile, occasionally being touched, occasionally landing a hit. I counted the blows in my head. 53… 54… Only ten left. I kept dancing in his divinations, biding my time. 61… 62… 63… 64!

I used the small opening he left me.

"My turn." I said as my fist had him on the abdomen.

I felt him constrict his muscles to diffuse the blow, filling his body with chakra. I went on, twisting one of his arms, just the tie to land a palm on his ear. He tumbled, disorientated by my blow. In a real fight I would have used this to settle a Genjutsu and accentuate his confusion. Instead I let him go while leaping in his back and kicking his spine. He grunted while trying to face me.

I was an elusive target, intangible as a will o' the whisp. We went at each other again, him trying to get my Tenketsu.

"That will be enough." Gekko-San said and we bot stopped a few inches before our hits landed.

Hum, he would have done a nasty blow this time. I had an appreciative look. He chuckled in answer. We relaxed. We crossed our fingers in reconciliation. His bandaged hand felt rough under my skin. I was breathing fine, though sweating a little. Neji-San was panting more.

Huh… Was it what he meant by me being better than him.

The students exploded in a standing ovation. I was taken aback. Why applauding to this? We were just having a fight. Soon they would know this wasn't about beauty or performance. This was about survival.

I felt a headache growing. I focused on my mental barrier. I would not flinch. Not before everyone! I closed my eyes and breathed slow. I opened them to see the pride in Sasuke-Chan's eyes. I felt warm.

"Your Nee-Chan's so cool!" Naruto-Kun shouted.

"Hinata, your cousin is hot," a girl dared saying.

"Do you think they have a thing?" the Inuzuka boy mocked.

Sasuke-Chan stood up to glare at him. The puppy barked playfully at my cousin while his master insolently waved at me. I felt Neji-San going stiff near me. What was the problem with them? There was never and there never will be anything between a Hyuuga and an Uchiha.

I looked at the swordsman.

"Training ground 3 at six A.M. sharp." He said.

I bowed.

"Thank you very much."

Neji-San nudged my side. We better be going. Iruka-Sensei thanked us. We exited the room silently. Nothing was said between us. There was nothing to be aid.

I still had much to learn.

* * *

 _Hello ! I hope you enjoyed your reading !  
_

 _Thanks for reviewing by the way :_

 _ **Hilva Peruna** : Thanks for your review !_

 _ **Lucie** : I don't know what you meant by "_relatable" _..._

 _ **tomato** : thanks for the comments. I wish I could update sooner, but I hadn't have enough time to write this year, especially with my computer dying on me..._

 _Everyone have a great day!_


	7. Way to go

_"Seeking excellence means choosing to forge your own sword to cut through the limitations of your life..." James A. Murphy_

 **Chapter 7 :Way to go**

I waved the sword up and down with my right hand. Up. And down. And up again. And down again. It might look simple, but it wasn't. Especially because Gai-Sensei insisted on making me wear heavier weights. I was sure Lee-San carried more than me, but I was told that it would help with my muscle growth. Even without it the task would have been tiring.

It was excruciating.

Up. Down. I felt like something was being dislocated inside of me. How long until it stopped.

Gekkoa-Sempai (he insisted that I called him that way) had agreed to take me as a student, but he strictly refused that I used my dôjutsu. Copying a technique would never help me mastering it. So I had to learn them the hard way. By waving a word in basic moves.

He had shown me some of his moves. It almost looked like a dance. I was impressed. But here I was, stuck in these exercises.

The harder part was to stop the bokken at the exact place he wanted me to. Stopping my move, controlling the blade was everything. It was almost impossible with the inertia of my weights.

Up. Down. My hand was trembling. The other was stuck in a focus seal. I'd have to be able to use the other hand, and maybe make Jutsu with it. I couldn't grasp how people could execute techniques with incomplete signs. They had been invented for a reason, right? For instance, I needed to form the tiger seal to make Katon Jutsu.

"97... 98... 99..." I counted with my clenched teeth. "100! Finally!"

I let the sword down. My right arm was jerking around numbly.

"Good work" the Chuunin coughed, he always seemed a bit sick. "Now the other arm."

"Again?" I complained.

"You said you wanted to master Kenjutsu in six months, which is impossible. I'm taking you as far as I can with the basics. I'm sure you can pull the rest yourself."

Yeah, right... That was why he didn't want me to use my Sharingan. Turns out I was getting too cocky with it. Reproducing a technique when your body isn't rained for it can have disastrous effects. I remember a few muscles strain trying Neji-San's Juuken stances. My hands were definitely not made for that. And I still haven't tried copying Ninjutsu from another chakra nature.

I didn't mind the pain or any task that didn't required me to think. Not thinking was a good thing. There were tons of ideas I could ignore through effort and pain. I don't remember being a work alcoholic when little. I was ambitious, I wanted to shine, but I was just like Sasuke-Chan: I took the easy path. But there are to shortcuts in life, just illusions of the mind. I learned it the hard way, nearly drowning in my own blood and forever wondering about what was real.

Up. and down. My heart was beating, filling my head with its drumming. Nothing was red or black. No one way about to die. Everything here and now was real. It was everything that counted. I had no time to waste.

I might pay the toll later. But later was later. I was here and now.

"I'm done." I announced after a while.

"Good. Take a time to stretch your arms and legs." he suggested.

I obeyed without asking. What makes swordsmanship? Is it the strength of the arms? The swiftness of the blow? The footwork? A mix of all of this? I couldn't tell. I could only focus on my muscle pain.

The sun was burning my skin. Like my whole family I inherited a pale complexion and a low resistance to sunrays. What a pity for children of fire! I could feel the heated flesh getting redder and redder. I would probably peel tomorrow and the days after. Not that it really mattered: I was so bruised my natural color was black and green.

"Okay, stop." he coughed. "Let's see what you've learned."

He threw something at me. My first reflex was to avoid the object. It fell on the floor with a soft noise. It looked silky and red. I raised a brow as he gestured for me to fetch it. A long burgundy ribbon was floating between my fingers. I felt a little silly, not used to feel these textures under my calloused hands. I used to wear a silk yukata for special events. Last time I wore it I was pinned to a tree.

I glared dubiously at the Chuunin.

"It's a target." he said.

"It looks a lot like a reward." I answered. "I didn't know I deserved one."

He had only been training me for a couple of months after all. I had mostly done the exercises he gave me and changed my alimentation. I was building muscles after all.

Gekko-Sempai wore a dry look on his lips.

"That is only if you manage to keep it." he said. "Put it somewhere on your clothes."

I tied it on a simple knot on the front. I hadn't even finished that simple task that he was throwing himself at me. I jumped backwards, reaching for the hilt of my katana. The young man hadn't pulled his blade yet. I attempted a strike while unsheathing. My weights were slowing me down. I didn't see his sword. It had already strike when I heard it swoosh. Pain exploded on my side as he bluntly hit me with the flat side. His other hand was already on me.

I exchanged my body with a log just on time.

What about the honor of swordsmen he had told me before?

He had taken me by surprise, but now I was prepared. My team was much faster than him. I knew he was getting easy on me, but I couldn't let him win. I was an Uchiha and I had my pride.

I saw something glint on the sun. I blocked his sword as he jumped on me. A loud clang echoed on the training field. My hand almost flew, gliding across his other wrist, preventing him from taking the bow a second time. Everything in me was painful.

"What about that code of honor?" I grunted, struggling against him.

"We're ninjas." he simply answered.

I frowned. What did he mean by that?

I had no time to think as he twirled on his feet to get closer. I gave the struggle up, he moved slightly forward with his impulsion. I took that opportunity to move in his back and land a straight kick. He was sent a few step backs. I jumped at him, my sword describing an arc. He avoided it, striking right at my arm. The shock almost made me lose my grip on my weapon. I blinked, blinded by the sudden pain. Fortunately, I was wearing weights...

There was a ribbon in his other hand. That... That dunce!

"Not bad." he said. "But not good enough. I'll keep this until you get it back."

I gritted my teeth before striking.

This time I wouldn't forget I had another hand and a pair of Sharingan. The man was dancing around me like a steel-winged butterfly. I couldn't get a grasp of him. He was way too swift for me. As soon as I put my Dôjutsu on he became merciless. I wasn't near good. I saw in here the gap between us. And these fucking weights that slowed me down!

It was infuriating.

My chakra was bubbling inside of me, like the rage I was stacking.

There was only me and Sempai, battling for a stupid ribbon.

I was learning. I was learning fast. And it was painful. He hit me relentlessly. It was mostly with the blunt or the flat side of his blade, leaving nasty bruises on my exposed skin. But sometimes I would feel the cold bite of steel and hiss in pain. There was no easy way to learn. Blood was beating in my veins like war drums, I was trying to run on their uneven rhythm. It was too fast, too soon. I hadn't the necessary strength. I was too weak.

 _Black and red around me._

 _There's a black katana in my side._

 _My blood is pooling out of me._

 _But it wasn't Sempai in front of me._

 _I wail in pain._

Gekko-Sempai suddenly grabbed my shoulder with his empty hand.

"Oy! Yanagi-San!" he called with an alarmed tone.

I couldn't stop myself from shaking. He asked me the basic emergency questions (Could I hear him? Could I answer? Could I remember the day we were? Was I under medication? Did I need to lie down)? My mouth tasted like bile. My tongue felt like a lump of coal.

"You're all right?" he asked.

About that moment my teammates arrived for our daily training. Gai-Sensei had taken an habit of bringing me 'healthy food' in form of hard balls of soil. After two days my teammates pitied me enough to get me decent meals. I was so used to eat breakfast with Sasuke-Chan that I often forgot to take my food with me. In the end I found myself with more food that I could ingest, efficiently filling my body with the good nutrients.

I saw Sempai and Sensei discussing away while I was eating my rice balls. I wasn't looking at anything in particular. I just felt sick.

"I saw your spar Yanagi! Very youthful!" Lee-San was saying encouragingly.

"It was acceptable." Neji-San corrected. "You're not using your chakra to its full potential. Increase your usual flow and control."

I nodded distractedly. I wasn't in the mood. All the efforts I had made to be more sociable with them was slowly fading away. Was it worth it? would get separated from them in a few months! Summer was dying slowly and I knew I had to leave them. So why getting attached? I'd only be hurt more.

I didn't have to make any efforts to make them like me. I was walking towards my goal. If they weren't the team I was graduating with, then there was no point.

The dreams were getting worse. I wanted to use this new ability of mine, thus I had to fight nightmares I couldn't escape. What was real? What wasn't? How did it work? The clock was ticking.

"I just had a great idea!" Lee-San exclaimed as the two adults resumed their conversation. "Why don't we take a youthful picture as a team?"

I looked at him. Through my clouded mind, Lee-San was shining. I managed a wobbly smile before fetching my instant camera. It took a few tests before fitting the tree of us in this picture. It forced us squeezing ourselves while I was holding the machine far from our heads. They felt real, awkwardly wrapping an arm around me. It had only been four months together, but they seemed to accept me.

Neji-San had been the first to talk to me, and he was an okay guy if I ignored his nasty obsession with fate.

Lee-San was being equal to himself: hard-working and full of energy every minute.

I fitted between them. The talented girl who worked hard enough. The girl who had her own flaws. It felt good with them.

But it seemed someone had decided against this small happiness. Suddenly I missed the protective walls of the Academy. Now that I was in the outside world, it seemed too big and too dangerous. I was the last Uchiha girl. I was proud of my clan. In the end it seemed my village wanted proof of that.

My childhood was fading away, if I had any.

I closed my eyes, hoping these smalls seconds of happiness with this team could last forever. The polaroid buzzed out. I shook it before looking at it. When did I start looking half-dead? But the picture was nice. It made me remember the essential thing: all of this was real.

I liked these boys. I liked them when we had been at the Academy, but far away. I didn't want to admit they fascinated me. I was the last Uchiha girl, and I had nothing to do with a Hyuuga and a civilian who couldn't manipulate chakra. I oddly fit between them because I could be myself. I allowed myself to show some weakness.

Weakness meant my control was slipping.

"Take a pause. Training too hard is unhealthy." Gai-Sensei said as he came back.

I nodded. Even though I didn't want to leave Neji-San and Lee-San, I had to. Sasuke-Chan needed me. The village wanted me. If I wanted to restore my clan's fame, I had to work hard.

"Do... do you want to talk about it?" Sensei asked, uncharacteristically hesitant.

I looked away.

"Later, maybe." I muttered.

"Yosh! That sounds like a promise!"

I slightly grinned, before I started stretching.

I had never been that exhausted in my life. When I had been little, I can't really remember doing anything out of the ordinary. Well it was mostly because I hated being pushed by others. Right now I hated the fact I had to work so hard and be separated of my teammates. I could tell there was politics in play, yet I had never been good at this game. I had been told it was a nice skill to have, especially for kunoichi when they stop being used to fight and start giving birth.

I didn't want to stop fighting. I couldn't.

I was the Uchiha clan.

And I was getting eaten by my own power.

Exhaustion took me, and I knew I wouldn't escape the illusion. I recognized the signs now. It was useful, because it had trained my brain to recognize illusions. I already had an asset with my Sharingan, but that meant I was way more experienced with illusions than other people. Yet I was still so weak to them.

My head dropped on my chest. Everything went...

 _Black._

 _And red._

 _It twirled and twirled and twirled._

 _Hypnotizing._

 _Sickening._

 _I looked at the red blood pooling from my body._

 _My head was so heavy..._

 _"It really gets annoying on the long run." I huffed at the dark arm._

 _I focused. Because of tiredness I found myself facing this Genjutsu over and over. Black on black was the enemy before me._

 _He had no face. He had no voice._

 _I was powerless._

 _Something hit me in the head._

My surroundings were getting better again. The trees, the nature, everything was colored...

"I'm picking weird chakra signals in her brain." someone said and the voice sounded like Neji-San.

"She seems to regain consciousness. Give her a mild anesthetic." someone else ordered.

 _Everything flickered back to black and red._

 _The image before me was staggering. I wanted to stare in the dark again. I wanted my answers._

 _Then I noticed the pain was gone._

 _But the sword was still there._

 _I had a tasteless bloody smirk._

 _I just had a really bad idea._

 _I rushed forward, letting the sword slip through me._

 _I wanted to grasp that man's face!_

 _His eye looked at me. It was red._

 _Everything started to fade away._

 _Not now. I needed more time!_

"Don't worry Uchiha-San, you're going to be fine." I heard.

Why was it the first time I thought of keeping this dream world of mine?

 _The man's eye glimmered. Like it was saying goodbye._

 _At the last moment I distinguished the weird pattern of his Sharingan._

 _Mangekyo?_

Everything dissolved around me. And I fell in what surely was a normal dream…

 **"I have thought of some new chords today, Gôshi-San." I said. "It goes like this..."**

 **I put my hands on the guitar and started playing. The man didn't move from his seat, still sipping his green tea in silence. Music filled the place. I let my emotions roll in. I put my feelings of the day inside. I put the praise of the teachers. I put the impressed look of Duck Butt. I put the distressed look of Shisui-Nii-San when I blew a fire so hot it was more orange than red. I put the feeling of power when chakra flowed inside of me. I put the beauty of the flames.**

 **Little by little the music grew stronger and harsher. It told the story of a girl who didn't want to be left behind. It told a story of hard work and hope.**

 **The last notes died in the place.**

 **My adopted father still wasn't looking at me. His eyes were closed and his breathing as difficult as usual.**

 **"Gôshi-San?" I asked.**

 **"Why are you still playing on this instrument? This isn't what you've been told to do, Yanagi."**

 **I looked at him.**

 **"This won't do at all. I thought you had the talent to impress Fugaku-Sama, but I was wrong. Your music is an earsore."**

 **Was I playing that bad? I mean, I couldn't do fire tricks anymore, or play with Sasuke-Chan, or be the best one in class. If I did, Onii-San would have that look again... I wouldn't be able to stand that. Instead I decided I'd put all this in my music. I thought Gôshi-San would be annoyed because I wasn't playing the classics of the clan (his wife had worked hard to teach all the ritual dances to my clumsy self, hasn't she?).**

 **My music was the last free thing I possessed. Until now.**

 **"I do not understand." I told him.**

 **I immediately felt the danger when he stood. I trembled, being just an eight-year-old facing an old guy. But I wouldn't let go. He knew I would never accept him as my father, as well as I would never accept to obey them. My last family member was my brother, and he hadn't had the strength to take care of me. that meant I had to have that strength for myself.**

 **That strength was mine. Mine to reveal and mine to use. Father had taught me that.**

 **"Indeed you do not understand, Yanagi. You are a daughter of the Uchiha clan. Your duty is to provide honor to the clan. You are wasting your potential in this music."**

 **His hand flew and took the instrument away from me. I hadn't the force nor the speed to grab it properly. He handed it to his wife. Kami knew where she would put it. I gritted my teeth. It was so unfair!**

 **His hand gripped my shoulder hard.**

 **"Do not take me for an imbecile, girl. I am not blind. I know what you're worth."**

 **That didn't mean I would give him my talents. We both knew he adopted me because of who my father was, but not only. My father was a war hero, and my mother had been very talented as well. Onii-San was one of the most talented of our clan. I still needed to bloom, but developing two tomoe at eight-year-old and knowing our basic Katon techniques was an impressive feat. I probably had room to get better, and that was exactly what he was expecting.**

 **"You don't need these distractions. I'll give you the shape you're ought to have." he said with his stern voice.**

 **"No." I had refused defiantly.**

 **I hadn't predicted the slap. It burned.**

 **I lowered my head. I curled my hands into fists to stop them from trembling. I should fall on my knees and apologize. After all I was just a weeping willow. I was always bent in submission, right? That is what I should do?**

 **"Remember I am the one who took you in. Is it how you are repaying our kindness?"**

 **I trembled again, but it was a repressed laugh that time. Kindness? Is it how he put things? He hit my face again.**

 **"Go to your room and reflect on your acts, Yanagi."**

 **I turned my heels away. There was no point discussing with such a stubborn man. Blood tasted bittersweet in my mouth.**

I jerked as someone gave my body a shake.

There was a masked man with impossible grey hair next to me. My brain paused a while before I started observing the room I was in. Hospital. Where else?

"I was starting to wonder why I wasn't being chased by a cute little girl today." The elite Jounin casually said. "Did you sleep well?"

I didn't answer. Something was weird. It was like some part of my mind wasn't accessible to me. It felt like a numb spot in my brain. What happened?

I looked at Kakashi-San questioningly.

He sighed and brushed the back of his head with his fingers. No matter what he did, his hair was still defying gravity. That man didn't seem to hold any logic. He was so hard to grasp. It was a wonder he was actually coming to see me. I wasn't sure I had managed to have him teach me some Sharingan tricks. In the end I still had learned some stuff by pursuing his lazy ass around Konoha on my free time.

I had been used to see him pray near the KIA stone. Something had changed since he saw me walking with Naruto-Kun. And then Gai-Sensei had started pursuing the two of us with Kage Bunshin so we would train together. The only thing was that the ex-ANBU didn't want to do anything with me. He forced me using my Sharingan to track him, something that was absolutely not the first purpose of these eyes. The only time I managed to keep him on his toes was a morning when I managed to pull out this crazy Mangekyô of mine. Appearing next to him by surprise nearly got me killed.

He took the patient chart at the end of my bed. I was quite sure he shouldn't do that.

"The docs seem to think you had some sort of Dôjutsu failure while trapped under a Genjutsu... They weren't able to cast it off, so they numbed the part of your brain who received the false signals."

"Seems like patching me up." I snorted.

"They do their best." he replied.

"Yes, they do."

It was somehow incredible I had to fall from exhaustion for them to detect the problem. It's not like I hadn't talked about it to my shrink. What a waste.

The man sat back in front, arms crossed. His only visible eye was looking at me. I shuddered. The man in my illusion only had one eye.

I had to ask... The one-eyed Mangekyô user in my dream…

"How did you get that eye?"

"You're curious, now? I thought you said it didn't matter."

"I want to know now..."

I heard how unsure and weak I sounded.

"Is it really what you want to ask me right now?"

I almost let my first thought slip though my teeth. What I wanted to know the most was about the vivid memory I just had. I had remembered the feeling of being used. There was no more stepfamily to make shine. But there were politicians that seem to ask the same as the Elders of my clan. How long until I get free from them?

Though knowing how an outsider got the eye was very interesting.

So I nodded eagerly.

He gave me a knowing look.

"I got it from a great man during the war." he said.

"Who was it?"

"My teammate."

He refused to say more, even though I tried very hard. He seemed gone a bit. Then he claimed my questions were too intimate. I wasn't quite sure what he meant by that word. His book might be of adventure and romance; it clearly was some adult book. A really graphic one. Not the kind I should be reading.

He seemed to have questions for me.

"I read your file." he said.

I managed to mix a frown with raised brows.

"And I am the one getting into your intimacy?"

"Mah, you didn't know until I told you."

"How does that makes it better !?"

"It's funny how your grades and abilities don't seem to match..."

"Why are you asking that for?"

"Maybe I want to know now?"

"As if. Who wants to know about that?"

"You think someone wanted me to ask?"

He was good. I was quite sure he could read much more if I refused to talk. 5% is what I say, 15% is how I say it, 80% is body language. So I'd better answer and try my best at lying. Talk about fooling a Sharingan user.

"Yes, I think so."

"You're quite perceptive, aren't you? I see you trying to read my moves even without your Sharingan on. Gai trained you well in that area."

Not quite. I just picked up some neat tricks by watching him. He might have been the only man detecting a Henge only by reading body language. But maybe that counted as training.

"If you're that perceptive, tell me what you have on your mind." he said.

"Does that count as training as well?" I asked as I eyed him. "It does, right! Kami, how screwed are you?"

He waited for me to be able to start. I breathed in, composing myself. I thought I felt someone in the corridor, but it was probably a nurse. Nonetheless, I decided to use the secret hand signs I had seen Shisui-Nii and Itachi-Sama use. They thought they had been so discreet, but I had always been trying to find something to put my mind on. I couldn't be that good in the other areas if I was distracted, right? Splitting my attention had always worked, because I had always been expected to do my best.

"I think people haven't noticed me at first because I was in my brother's shadow. He was the best of our clan, even stronger than the Uchiha heir. Then again I was just a little girl with a difficult birth. Actually I'm quite sure they thought of me as a way to keep Sasuke-Chan busy. That's how I made something akin to a mistake: I carelessly showed my powers. I wasn't aware that powers should mostly be hidden to your peers. After all, enemies are supposed to be taken down."

I closed my eyes a bit, feeling the headache pounding against my skull. A cold plastic goblet found his way inside my hand. Water felt like a blessing. My throat was always sore because of all my uses of the Katon. I thanked the man before speaking again.

"I shouldn't be telling all of this to you, but you probably already know it. I'm not the only perceptive person in this room, right?"

I opened my eyes to see his glinting. He was finding this amusing or interesting. Glad to be the center of the show…

"After Father died, I was adopted by some cousin. A very ambitious one, I might say. I don't know why he thought the clan head and heir would be interested in me, but he wanted to look good through me. But on the meantime I had this feeling that my brother didn't quite like me being talented. So I managed to partially hide my progress."

Well nowadays I was rather busy fighting madness. It was rather effective to slow down any progress.

"By progressing in other fields, right? Heard you were some kind of an artist." he teased.

"And where did you hear about that?"

I sounded a bit wary. He winked at me and I almost groaned in annoyance.

"Anyway, I'm not that good at hiding since it seems people are still waiting for me to bring fame to the village."

"You should be grateful. Most ninjas aren't that lucky."

"Heh, if they wanted fame, better not count on my clan. I'm aware of that false pretense of power they gave us with all the Police force."

"Someone's been reading I see. Be sure to take care where you put your nose, Yanagi"

The room suddenly went chilly. Kakashi wasn't teasing anymore.

"What are you looking for, Uchiha Yanagi?" he asked.

I felt my body trembling, moving on its own. My skin was crawling, like trying to run away while my limbs were totally paralyzed. My breathing itched. What was he doing? His presence was such a pressure, such a menace.

 **"Are you showing off, Yanagi?"**

It was my brother's voice in my mind. It had felt as intimidating as Kakashi just now. I felt scared. Bad! Bad! Bad! I shouldn't show all these powers!

I didn't dare looking away from the man. He might jump at me and hurt me. I suddenly was way younger, pinned to a tree, dying. I gritted my teeth at the aggressor. I would not die here. I straightened my spine, clenching my fists, Sharingan spinning in my eyes like mad. I made my chakra radiate, just like he did. I felt blazing hot. It was exhilarating.

"I am not scared." I said, boldly looking at him.

"What are you looking for, Uchiha Yanagi?" he asked again.

"I want answers to my questions."

"What questions?"

I felt how hard it was to resist him. Drops of sweat rolled on my face. I had higher chakra reserves than that man. It may be foolish to resist, but I had to. I wanted to be strong.

"You're not the one I want to ask them."

"I'm someone who can prevent you from going. How deep do you wish to know?"

"Why do you want to keep me so much in the dark? Afraid I might turn wrong?" I countered.

"I want you to see your priorities straight. I know which way despair leads to."

Then I realized. He thought I would crumble because of all these people who had died. He thought it because I went to see them everyday, just like he did with his own friends. Yet, I didn't hold any regrets.

"I have too much to do to wallow in despair, Kakashi-San."

I was too busy not going crazy, for once.

But there was also something else he was trying to tell me. What priorities? Why would he ask about that? He didn't seem like Gai-Sensei, who thought I was going to die confronting my cousin. He was asking something crucial. Was he asking...

"You'd better keep this in mind. Konoha needs you."

"Konoha needs more than just me. I'm just a sophisticated tool to be. I suppose you should know better than me, you who is the last of the Hatake clan. People die for our village everyday. I will too."

"If you know that much, then why asking questions?"

"Maybe because I won't be just a simple baby maker to make our clan rise again. I am smart enough to know there is something wrong, and I know where to look for my answers."

"What will you do once you have them? What will you do if what you find makes you turn your back on your own Village? Konoha can't risk this."

I smirked.

"Then I'll just have to make the truth known."

He raised a brow. I realised then we both had lowered our killing intents.

"You really are Shisui's sister, aren't you. I'll be watching you."

There was a gust of wind. I blinked.

He was gone.

* * *

 _So did you enjoyed what you've read ?_

 _What do you think of Kakashi? What do you think of his relationship with Yanagi?_

 _ **fanofthisfiction** : Thanks for your comment ^^ I wasn't sure I had transcribed the loss of their clan right..._

 _See you later! Don't forget to leave a review._

 _EDIT : Thanks to SecretlyADayDreamer I have corrected the character naming problem :D_


	8. Visiting

_"What we should care about is health - reduction of morbidity and mortality. Too often, we instead pay attention to whether something is 'normal.' A hospital may spend several million dollars separating a pair of conjoined twins, even though that separation is likely to leave them worse off." Alice Dreger_

 **Chapter 8 : Visiting**

The Hyuuga Dôjutsu specialist came to see me not far after Kakashi-San had gone. He was rather nice, considering he really was listening to me, thinking about the symptoms I described. He told me he couldn't risk any brain operation. He was quite sure the only way to remove the Genjutsu, aka what seemed to be the source of all my problems, was to ask another Uchiha to cancel it, since I was unable to do so by myself.

The Tenketsu block in my brain would wear thin after a time, so I was asked to watch it. They would teach the basics to Neji-San, in case broke down during a mission, but it was very unlikely. I was to see them immediately if I removed it when performing a Genjutsu, or anything else.

As soon as he left, there was a soft knock on my door.

"Yanagi-San, are you feeling well enough for a visit?" a woman voice asked.

"Yes?" I offered.

The door slid open to reveal Sasuke-Chan with a nurse. His eyes were glinting. He didn't want to show it, but I saw the worry and the relief on his features. I had scared him to death, hadn't I? The lady left us alone when I assured her I felt all right. He threw himself at me as soon as she closed the door, leaving his bag at his feet. All the air was chased from my lungs as he threw himself at me.

He was trembling, his arms all around my ribcage. I didn't remember him being so strong. He did have a bit of training after all, even though it clearly wasn't enough.

"You're hurting me a bit, Sasuke-Chan…" I groaned.

"They said you had a Genjutsu break down." He whispered. "I just thought…"

My hand went to comb his hair reassuringly. Of course he would be afraid. Even though he was the one the doctors kept the longest at the time, I was the one trapped in that filthy illusion for years.

"It's okay, I'm feeling better now." I said.

"But they haven't cured you, right? They can't do nothing more than they did at the time."

"Unfortunately…"

It had been a while since we had hugged each other that way. I didn't felt stiff and he didn't cringe at my contact. I thought it might have been the case. Not mentioning the fact, he hated that I treated him like a kid. But right now, I think we both needed that attention. I left him some place on my bed and he climbed beside me. I started rocking him, the regular motion felt good. His eyes were closed. He breathed fast.

"They say… They say I need a stronger Sharingan to break the Genjutsu." I muttered.

"A stronger Sharingan, heh…"

He drew back from me. There was a strange look in his eyes.

"There is something I haven't told you about that night." he said, looking away from me. "Will you listen?"

I nodded. He cleared his throat before plunging his eyes in mine. They were browner than mine, I thought. Shisui-Nii and me had charcoal-like eyes. Itachi-Sama's eyes were anthracite, I remembered, though I couldn't recall a precise time where I had stared in our heir's eyes. That would have been very incorrect of me.

"I didn't pass out after _he_ put me under the Genjutsu. I managed to get up and run after him. I had apparently no value to be killed by him. Then he told me to curse and hate him, and I did. But he also said…"

I felt his hesitation. He nervously gulped. I didn't tare touching him at that moment. But only leaning on me seemed to make him feel better. But what he had said… I didn't get to know his brother much. Rather I can't remember much of this past because of this illusion in my head. Yet I did know Uchiha Itachi had a very peculiar way to convey his words. He had a talent to hide what he meant, merely hinting it in the conversation. I was almost sure he had addressed a message to his brother, one that the boy was supposed to decipher.

But in the end, it was a really cruel thing to do.

"He suggested I got the same eyes as him. He hadn't a normal Sharingan, it was a twisted one. It looked like a Fuuma Shuriken somehow. And the only way I can get it is…"

"Killing someone close to you." I finished his sentence. "I thought I was something like that in the clan's archives about something called the Mangekyô Sahringan."

"I don't want to kill anyone!" he whispered.

I put an arm around his shoulders. He wasn't crying, and I wasn't either. I hadn't shed a single tear for a while. Did I remember how it felt? When was the last time I had cried? I couldn't remember. I had been playing tough for so long…

"We are ninjas. Sometimes, we have to do something we don't like." I sighed.

"I know. But the person I would have to kill…"

"It's sick, isn't it? These eyes of ours… Just don't think about that."

His fingers clenched my shoulders as he hugged me again. I awkwardly closed mine against his frame. It hurt a bit to be honest. Neither of them let go.

"But I want to kill him, Yanagi-Nee. I want to kill him so much!"

"I know."

I closed my eyes as he pushed me away to face me. His voice was full of a contained rage.

"Don't you want that? He killed your brother as well!"

"Did he? Brother died weeks before the massacre."

"Don't lie to yourself! He had these eyes right after Shisui-Nii died! You know what that means, right?"

I clenched my fists. I believed in Itachi-Sama's words. He had assured me he hadn't killed my brother, and I had believed him. Yet, I knew the apparition of his Mangekyô Sharingan did meant he had killed my brother. Yet something kept bothering me. Where was my brother's eyes? The person who killed him also got his eyes. Itachi-Sama wouldn't have dared.

Yet how could I be so sure? Who knew what happened in our heir's head. He had killed them all, hadn't he. So why did I keep believing him about my brother. I couldn't remember that.

"That means he used his Mangekyô Sharingan after my brother was dead, that is all." I answered evenly.

"How can you stay so calm while saying this? How can you?"

"Sasuke-Chan, I too have dealt with dead people. Mother died when I was born. Father died when I was a kid. Brother was killed." I said, keeping my voice from trembling. "Somehow… somehow you get used to this…"

I looked at the window.

"Yeah, you get used to this. Because somehow, this is also the path of a ninja." I said. "It's a sad world we're living in, right?"

"Well I'm not someone who lets go like you!" he said while standing. "I'll kill that man, I'll make him pay, and together we'll restore our clan!"

I waited for him to calm down a bit. It didn't seem to work at all. He was huffing angrily next to me. I felt him trembling.

"Look at me! Look at me and tell me what you're thinking! You've never agreed with my will to kill Itachi, haven't you? Are you considering keeping him alive after all he has done?"

"I have no will to kill him." I said. "It serves no purpose."

"I knew it. In the end you're just a coward with no power. All you do is rotting in this village, dancing around with this Hyuuga boy and befriending punks like Naruto."

I stared at him, a slight frown on my face. What was he criticizing? I get he was afraid to make friends because of what Itachi-Sama had told him, but still… A disgusted smirk bloomed on his lips.

"In the end, you're just weak. You're just weak and afraid, Yanagi-Nee." he spat.

"I do not understand. Why would befriending people be bad?"

"You're losing your time. Why aren't you looking for Itachi? You have as much right to kill him as I want to. Why aren't you looking for him?"

"Sasuke-Chan, I…"

"Don't 'Sasuke-Chan' me when you're the frightened little kid!"

The anger rose in me, uncontrollable. I didn't know it had been piling up behind my mental barriers until they exploded. Chakra oozed from my body, deadly. His pupils were dilated from fear. He had troubles breathing.

"Have you finished your ranting?" I muttered. "What were you thinking, threatening me with empty words like that. You just want powers to kill your brother, and then what?"

I suddenly realized how close I was to hit my little cousin. How foolish was that? I turned my back on him, releasing him from my anger. He fell on the ground, panting hard. Was that what I had directed on Kakashi-San about an hour ago? It felt just wrong.

"There's no point talking about that." I said. "Please leave and don't come back."

"Yanagi-Nee, I…"

"Leave, I said!" I shouted.

Leave. Don't make me feel worse than right now.

I was a mess.

Such a despicable mess.

He got back on his feet, taking something from his bag. He put it on the nightstand.

"I thought you would be needing this with the nightmares, and all…" he muttered.

I looked at the camera and sighed.

"Thanks, Sasuke." I muttered. "I shouldn't have gone that mad at you. It's just that… I wish there was another way than killing your brother. It won't bring anyone back, you know."

He grunted. I looked at the window again.

"So yeah, what I really want from your brother are answers. Then after I'll know what to do."

Couldn't he see the implications? The village wouldn't want our bloodline to disappear, and Itachi-Sama was one of our best ninjas. They would probably ask me to avoid having children with Sasuke-Chan. Even though we were cousins, it would mean having consanguineous offspring for our descendants. The safest bet would be that Itachi-Sama had children as well. Considering that I would need him to solve my Genjutsu problem, I would probably have to…

"There's something I would like to talk to you, when I get better…" I said to the boy. "The Village wants me to become a Chuunin sooner than I thought. Once I get promoted, I could probably get a mission outside the village and get some info about him."

He nodded, mutely. I saw the fear in his eyes. Things were moving way too fast. After Sasuke-Chan left the room, I laid on my bed. Eyes wide open, I looked at the ceiling. This was such a twisted word we lived in, sending people to their death for money…

Someone knocked at the door. I told them to come in. It wasn't a nurse. I didn't know that boy. He seemed a bit older than me, maybe one year or two. He had a thin face, long silver hair tied in a ponytail and round glasses. I straightened myself.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm a doctor in training. I was just checking if you were feeling all right." he said with a smile.

I eyed him warily. He seemed so tell the truth. He had that ugly white outfit the doctors wore generally. But why wasn't he alone? A trainee left alone to check on patients. It seemed wrong, given the fact I had been checked by the Hyuuga optometrist an hour ago.

He walked to me. The smell of antiseptics and bleach came to my nose. I cringed a bit. There was a bit of plant in the mix as well. I couldn't tell what it was, but it added a faint sweet note to the fragrance. My nose was definitely bad, though I wouldn't have identified the components if it hadn't been for Kakashi-Sensei. Nonetheless, I felt my body relax.

Why was I relaxing? I didn't know that guy!

"Don't come closer." I snapped as he took the chart by the end of the bed. "I don't believe your lies."

"Calm down" he said with a soothing voice, and I got up. "I'm just here to see you're all right."

My Sharingan spun in my eyes. Did he think he could do as he pleased?

"Identify yourself!" I ordered, remembering how Tekka-San had showed me how to intimidate someone before. "This is an order."

"Calm down, pretty lady." he laughed.

His hand went near my face in a flash. I parred it with no problem, someone had thought of taking my weights off. His eyes widened slightly. He was surprised. He had been underestimating me. I felt his finger trail on my skin.

"I was told Hyuuga girls were the most beautiful of Konoha. They were wrong." he purred. "I am Yakushi Kabuto, milady. You might want to remember my name."

"I don't want anything from you." I answered.

My voice was steady. In dangerous situations, the worse you could do was getting emotional. I was keeping my disgust at bay. His eyes were seeing everything of me, analysing me, gauging me like a piece of meat.

"But I want everything of you." he muttered. "Especially those pretty eyes of yours."

He made a step forward, his hands trying to grab me. I went faster than he anticipated. Actually I went faster than _I_ had anticipated: I wasn't wearing my weights anymore. He was still smiling at me. I saw the twitch of his muscles right before he made his jump. I glided on my right. What was his game?

"I was the one who kept you stable until the Hyuuga meds came. You were so beautiful. The way you looked at me without looking. I felt a connexion."

I blinked, still evading him. The dreamy look in his eyes was even creepier.

"I do not recall you face. Now If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna tell the nurses how much of a nuisance you are."

"You would? How inconvenient…" he said. "Just when I was telling you about our fated meeting. I think it's love at first sight."

I was surprised by his retort. I couldn't tell if It was the smell of plants around him that I had been breathing, or simply because I was blushing madly, but I couldn't move. He lunged at me, pushing me against the wall. His body was brushing mine, without touching it. The sweet scent was everywhere.

"Seems like I'm making your head spin." he chuckled.

"What is your game?" I whispered, feigning to be even weaker.

He turned my head to face me.

"I just want to share the life of the last Uchiha girl, what else?" he muttered while plunging his eyes into mine.

"Liar…"

I immediately activated a Genjutsu. Pain erupted in his brain and he gasped and fell on the floor. I looked at him writhing without an ounce of empathy. I didn't have much strength. What did he have me breathe? Why trying to seduce me? I didn't understand.

I kept looking in his eyes, trying to find the data I needed. He hadn't lied about his identity: he really was named Kabuto and was a trainee doctor. And he really seemed to have twisted feeling about me. Right, now I got a creepy guy that was in love with me! I looked deeper. He had to have an ulterior motive. There was no way anyone could like me because of my looks. That probably meant he needed me for power.

I was the last Uchiha girl? There was something in that statement…

"That's enough for now." he said.

I hadn't noticed him stop to feel pain. It wasn't right. I was still sending the right signals in his brain, and he hadn't disrupted the illusion. I tried to stop leaning on the wall, but it proved impossible.

"You're better than I thought! It will be even better!" he smirked before getting on his feet. "See you around, milady!"

His hand caressed my face. It glowed a bit green and my vision blurred. And then he was gone.

Mere seconds after I heard someone opening the door. I blinked. Why was I standing again? I felt sore and I had difficulties moving. I was thirsty too. And why had I turned my Sharingan on? It was with these questions that I felt myself falling forward.

Tenten caught me before I hit the ground.

"Easy girl!" she told me. "Don't you think you're doing too much?"

I leaned on her until she helped me sit on the bed. Once I was back inside, she sighed in relief. I had frightened her. Lee-San had been kind enough to prevent her of my injuries.

"I swear someday you're going to die on me." She sighed.

"I don't think so. Seems Kami-Sama had given me the means to survive." I grunted.

"Yeah, whatever you say. Still you're training way too much. We practically don't see each other, except for training. We could do something else, like, I don't know…"

"Studying in the library?" I suggested.

"That's _your_ twisted way of having fun! I'm talking about real fun, non-tiring fun!"

"I can assure you that reading is…"

"I was thinking of taking tea together, or eating sweets!"

"But that's the civilian way of fun." I pouted. "Training is the ninja equivalent to the civilians taking a drink."

"… you're spending way too much time with Neji and Lee." she deadpanned.

I gave her a blank stare.

"Don't try denying it."

"Okay, I'll admit Lee-San's a bit extreme in his training. But Neji-San puts the right amount of work, I think. And _I suppose_ I have trained a bit too much recently, hence my presence in this room."

"I get why they have put training freaks in the same team."

"In the same team, yeah…" I sighed.

I stretched and yawned, finally able to move in these covers. I still couldn't get why I felt so numb. I hadn't been with Kakashi-San nor Sasuke-Chan. I probably had tried to do too much with my body too soon.

"Are you hiding something, Uchiha Yanagi?" Tenten asked.

"The Council apparently wants me to take the Chuunin exam this December."

She whistled, impressed. A dry smile bloomed on my lips.

"You shouldn't be that impressed", I told her. "That would mean dismantling our current team. The way I see it, the Council wants the village to look good while using me."

"Well, you are exceptionally good." she said. "You've slowed down since _it_ happened, but you've always been like a super ninja."

"Humour me." I sarcastically replied.

"I really mean it! You used to be more lively and all, even though your step family treated you like crap. I think your crazy training habits come from that time."

I raised a brow. She wasn't the first one to refer to what I had been before the Massacre. Had I really been that different at the time?

"Did I change… that much?" I asked, unsure of the answer.

The brown-eyed girl was thoughtful for a while. She was reflecting on her answer at the time.

"How can I put it into words… You were like, super popular, you know? Smart, gifted and you gave off that warm feeling, unlike all the Uchiha I know. Like your little cousin. I went past him in the hallway, and I swear to Kami he looked like he had a bunch of chili pepper inside his pants."

"Tenten!" I laughed, falsely shocked.

"He too had changed. You were often together, you know. Probably because your brothers were rivals or something, I think you had mentioned that. He was like this adorable boy. You were like overprotective of each other, snapping at boys and girls who wanted to approach you."

I closed my eyes. Yes, maybe I recalled something like that. Not clearly, but I remember being more than this quiet bookish girl who read next her silent little cousin. If we had seemingly been like revolving stars before, we now were like ticking bombs, checking who would burst first.

The door slid open violently and we both jumped.

"How are you fairing in your youthlessness, Yanagi!" Lee-San shouted.

I was ready to jump out of the bed, wary. I blinked. For half a second I thought I saw a teenager wearing glasses and a lab coat, but it was probably my imagination.

"Lee! Keep your voice down, we're in the hospital!" Tenten scolded him at the same moment Neji-San elbowed him.

I smiled, slightly amused by the scene.

"Tenten! I haven't seen you here! How are you doing?" Lee-San said, and Neji-San merely nodded to acknowledge the girl's presence.

"I'm good," she said. "The Corps are dull, but I might be lucky and find two teammates and a Jounin to form a squad with."

It might even be sooner that she thought. I might talk to Gai-Sensei. Tenten was about the only girl I knew who could cope with Lee-San and Neji-San in the same room. I looked at my teammates. Now could be a good time to say it.

"You know, Tenten, you might want to take my place in Team 9." I said.

"What?" Lee-San and her exclaimed, while Neji-San frowned.

"Are you leaving the team?" he asked. "That would explain your unusual amount of training."

"Hah! I told you!" Tenten exclaimed.

"Shut up!" I pouted. "Yes, it seems like I will soon be placed in another team, in order to prepare for the Chuunin exam in next December."

"How impressive! That's Yanagi for you!"

"Only in four months?" Neji-San mused. "Think you can accomplish it with that chakra control of yours?"

"Stop boasting about that! It's not because you were able to do the tree-walk thingy before me that you're better than me." I complained.

"That's a nostalgic sight." Tenten smiled.

I tilted my head on the side. What was nostalgic?

"You used to always complain about his skills in class, right before asking Mizuki-Sensei why we couldn't spar with boys." she explained.

"I did?" I asked before pausing. "Well, that sounds like me, 'cause Neji-San really got on my nerves when we were at the Academy. We got better after we got teamed up."

Neji-San looked at me intently. Lee-San sat down on the last available chair.

"You suffered memory loss from the Academy days?" the green-clad boy asked. "I thought you just didn't like talking of your past with us, that's all!"

"It's not like I don't remember, rather than not thinking of the past helps me not thinking of…"

I shuddered.

"Isn't it dangerous?" Neji-San asked. "They agreed to let you become a ninja?"

"I have regular check-ups with a Yamanaka doctor. She says it's not a handicap to the fight."

"But you're doing better, right?" Tenten said. "You said you did?"

"As long as I don't exhaust myself. If I do, they just come to mind. It's not like I don't remember the past, rather than when I think of it I'm bound to recall unwanted memories after a while."

"Gai-Sensei says there's an ideal amount of training for everyone! Maybe you haven't found yours?"

"Yeah, but with the stress of the Chuuning exam, and the fact we'd be separated…"

My voice trailed. I wanted to look away from them, but they were all around me. Neji-San was leaning near the door frame. He had a glint in his eyes, not an angry one. I thought he wanted to tell something, but he didn't. Maybe he wanted to wait.

"Like I said before, you've always been some kind of training freak."

"You're just not training enough. That's the reason why you're in the Corps and not in an actual Genin team." Neji-San explained.

I gritted my teeth. Tenten addressed the Hyuuga an unimpressed look.

"You haven't changed at all, do you? You're still the same old fashioned git you've always been!"

"I'm just being realistic. It was fate that we were placed in the same team and you weren't."

"Neji-San, I'd advise you to watch your words. You know I had never liked you using the f word."

"F word…" Lee-San thought before turning to Neji-San. "That's weird, I've never seen you use the word 'fuck' much Neji-San!"

Tenten and I facepalmed at the same moment.

"I think I'm gonna leave you three alone." the girl sighed. "I hope we can see each other in a booth with green tea and dango, not on a training field next time."

I nodded distractedly. I knew another person who was fond of geen tea and dango, and well I couldn't allow this thought to go further away.

"Yeah, let's talk about how I became so badass you can't handle it anymore." I joked.

"Train freak!" she called before exiting the room.

I gestured for Neji-San to sit down on the chair she had freed, but he declined. He was fine leaning against the window. I wasn't. I think he knew that quirk I had: I always looked away when I was embarrassed, often by the window.

"So… When had you intended to tell us about this change of team?" Lee-San asked.

"Hum… I kinda wanted to postpone the thing. You know… to enjoy being with you as a Genin the longest possible?" I offered, upset I couldn't look away from them like I wanted to.

"I'm quite sure you'll become a Chuunin." Neji-San said.

"Thanks? I guess…"

"Yanagi, you've always been a fast learner. I thought we could have taken the exam together, but we couldn't." Lee-San said. "That's a bit disappointing, you know?"

"I'm really sorry about that. I would have like that very much, but I wasn't exactly given the choice. One day you were sparring, Gai-Sensei told me the Council had decided that. That is probably a politic scheme given that I am the last Uchiha girl alive."

We spent the last of the afternoon discussing, something we had rarely done as a team. Lee-San was an enthusiastic talker, and even though his ideas often led to talk about youthful things, he was able to reason pretty well. I liked the way Neji-San always found the way to take things calmly. He analysed things rather deeply. A shame he was often thinking of things as fated. I too was thinking and talking, not much, and I guess I could have gone a bit more emotive.

When the nurses asked them to leave the room, they waved me goodbye. Right when he was about to close the door, Neji-San looked at me again.

"When you said you had troubles remembering your past at the Academy, it's more like the people you don't remember, right?"

"Well Tenten said I was rather popular, and I think I was trying to befriend most of the class. Of course I've always considered you as a rival."

"Always?"

"Well we were both from powerful clans and close enough to the main family, so I'd naturally be competitive, right? Was it something I should have remembered in particular?"

He looked embarrassed at these words. I swore his upper cheeks had this dusty pink shade of embarrass.

"No, nothing at all. That's probably just me. See you around."

Wasn't he being a tiny bit out of character? Nah, that was probably my own imagination. My mind was cloudy all right. It was such a mess. I should reorganise it. And with this chakra block I felt like I was free to do lots of things.

That was until I met my new team, and my new instructor.

* * *

 _Hello everyone!  
_

 _I thought I would give you a nice Christmas present (yet I am a little bit late, sorry...)_

 _I hope you've spent a better Eve than I did :)_

 _Anyway, the next chapters are gonna be a bit hard to write, but I'll try my best!_

 _ **StrawberryObsession** : I'm glad you like Yanagi. I talked a bit of the survival of the Kekkei Genkai in this chapter, didn't I. Don't hesitate asking questions :)_

 _ **spicyrash** : It's good to see you like her interactions (even though she's not the best at sociable stuff)_

 _ **Guest** : I put a bit of Tenten in that chapter. Happy?_

 _Don't forget to review (a late chistmas present for me?)_

 _See ya!_


	9. Apart from training

"Resting for me is fitness training." Jenson Button

 **Chapter 9** : Apart from training

 **I was walking to Sasuke-Chan's class. Mikoto-Sama, Itachi-Sama or Shisui-Nii picked us from school in my first and second year, but now that I was a third year I was expected to fetch my little cousin. Because we ended up earlier than them, I had found myself hitting the wooden poles alongside Rock Lee, a weird classmate of mine.**

 **The bell rand and I ran to Sasuke-Chan. I didn't want to be late today, because both our Onii-San were there today. Maybe they'll agree to train us if we got convincing enough. Itachi-Sama always promised us to show us shuriken tricks but he never did. When Sasuke-Chan complained, he would just tap his forehead harshly and I would laugh at the red mark later. Itachi-Sama had done the same to me once, but Onii-San had gotten angry at us. He never complained when Sasuke-Chan and I fought and torn our clothes, ending with scratches and bite-marks, but kami prevented anyone else to touch me.**

 **So there we were running out of class towards the compound, holding hands like we had been told to do. I didn't like doing that: it made me look younger than I was. It was a shame, really, because I really looked mature and older with my tall height. I was told I could be mistaken for a Genin in the next year if I kept growing like that. It made me happy: I'd like if I was old enough to be in a team. Shisui-Nii had graduated early, and so did Itachi-Sama because of the war. Now that we were at a time of peace, I'd need to be a real genius if I wanted to be a Genin soon enough.**

 **I knew I was smart and hardworking, but I didn't want to be too smart or show too much. Shisui-Nii would be sad if I did so. Even though, I knew my own abilities. I learned fast, even without our Dojutsu's help, but that didn't mean I had the adequate capacities. Eventually my place was already settled: I'd get a job at the Police Station like most of our gifted members (Onii-Chan and Itachi-Sama were the only exception), then I'd marry someone from the clan.**

 **In the meantime I could still dream of a better life where I could be free of all political schemes…**

 **"Yanagi-Nee-Chan! Here they are!" Sasuke-Chan chirped.**

 **"Huh?" I uttered.**

 **I had been so lost in thoughts that I hadn't seen us joining our brother's favourite clearing. That's the moment I saw them fighting. I immediately turned my Sharingan on, not wanting to miss anything of the fight. Sasuke-Chan's hand went stiff in mine. He was still jealous I had activated my Dôjutsu so early. Sometimes I wished I hadn't, that the events that led me to gain this power never occurred.**

 **But not today.**

 **Today I was merely fascinated by my brother's and my cousin's agility. They didn't fight with swords very often. But I saw them dancing gracefully, and I knew each of their moves would be imprinted in the back on my mind, somewhere. The way they moved, the way they parred and evaded the blows… Everything was magnificent. I wish I could dance that way as well.**

I was released from the hospital the next morning. What was the most annoying about it was the paperwork that went along with it. To the ninjas from a civilian background that could seem like nothing, but for a ninja clan, hospital stays were always a major pain in the ass. Especially when you were the only person considered as the clan referent. Indeed, with the Uchiha heir being a missing nin, it only left Sasuke-Chan and me. Given that my Genin status made me an adult for lots of official businesses, I often found myself crawling under paperwork.

For example, the were all the lands our clan still possessed inside the Village's walls. Before the Kyuubi attack, when I was a little girl so I only know from other's stories, we all lived inside the village. We had lots of nice flats like the one we currently lived in. So when lots of people became suspicious of our clan's role in that attack, the Council thought it would be better if we did the same as the Hyuuga clan: living in a compound outside the Village.

Shisui-Nii told me that there had been plans of moving in a compound before, so the structures had mostly been build. Apparently this decision had been made back when our family was a big one with Father, Mother pregnant with me, Shisui-Nii and his Nii-chan. Unfortunately, lots of things happened. It was the Third Great Ninja War at the time so the houses were built slowly. Then the brother I never knew died during the war and Mother died while giving birth to me. In the end we were only three in that big sad house filled with pipe dreams.

So when everyone lived in the compound, there had been a very lucrative idea to put the flats on use. Some were rented by the city guards who found it pretty convenient to have rooms ready for their use. There was only the need to change the beds and clean the rooms regularly, so the clan hired some civilians who finally settled inside one of the rooms with their family, renting the place for a low price. Then other civilian families moved in until Sasuke-Chan and I claimed the last available flat. Well all these rents, and housekeeping contracts were a pain to read.

Because _I_ was kind of responsible for doing all this. Being the temporary head of the Uchiha clan was such a pain! I wish I had some people to work for me, but I never took the time to look for reliable civilians for the job. I was quite sure lots of people were taking some of our money. The Uchiha clan had so many possessions in the Village, as well as in the whole land of Fire… Yet retiring from the Shinobi world to rule this world may seem tempting at times, but it was way too much work.

So I was muttering curses about the Administrative system that made me file so much stuff for my own hospital stay when someone called me on the hospital lounge.

"Hey training freak!" Tenten greeted me.

I simply groaned, going back to my feet. We walked to the nurse office while chatting.

"What are you doing today?" she asked me.

"I thought of talking a bit with Sasuke-Chan about some stuff. Maybe I'll do some jogging later if I feel up to it."

"That sounds so boring! Hey, I suppose you haven't taken a breakfast yet?"

I handed the paper to the desk woman who rapidly read my answers. My eyes wandered while she did so, pondering whether I should accept the girl's suggestion or not. I should go back home to Sasuke-Chan, but I supposed it was a good step towards independence if I let him cook his own meals from time to time. My eyes stopped on a group of nurses talking to a silver-haired man wearing a lab coat. Following my gaze, Tenten looked at the guy.

"Are you checking out the Four-Eyes over there?" she teased.

I stilled, my cheeks burning with indignation.

"I so wasn't!" I almost screeched.

Lots of gazes fell on us at that sound. I felt even redder. The nurse before us giggled lightly, but thought it was better if she hid it under a false cough. The teenager looked at me from afar, and I thought I really didn't like his eyes on me. It gave me the creeps, and suddenly I remembered what had happened in the room. I immediately tensed, ready to jump him and make him regret aggressing an Uchiha.

"Everything is in order, Uchiha-San." the nurse at the desk said. "Please step out of the line."

That was right, I was in a hospital. I made a quick gesture for Tenten to follow me outside. She trotted by my side. I was chewing on my anger. I would break that boy's neck next time he found himself on my way. Yakushi Kabuto, was it? I don't think he'd like me to remember his name.

"Are you angry? You know, Glasses-Kun was totally checking you out." Tenten snickered.

"Would you stop with that?" I sighed. "So, breakfast at your home, was it?"

"I didn't tell you where, but that was the plan."

"It's always at your home when you're suggesting."

"Not fair, we go to that nice cake shop sometimes!"

"Yes and I always end up paying for you!"

"That's not my fault if I'm always broke!"

"A word of advice: this is not the aspect of Tsunade-Sama you would want to copy!"

"Yanagi, you're so mean!"

We happily walked on the streets speaking of nothing. Eventually the conversation fell on our life back at the Academy. Apparently before the Massacre I had had lots of admirer, boys and girls, who wanted to befriend me. Of course I would accept everyone and work with lots of different people during the year, often leading the teamwork. Tenten told me I used to chat a bit with these snob girls who were so glad to criticize my height and my alga-like hair. But everything changed for me, and I suddenly was that bookish silent girl.

After a while, most of my so called friends drew back and I finally found myself practically alone. Hopefully I still had Tenten by my side, and we were like the only person who could deal with Neji-san and Lee-san at the same time. Maybe I would have realised the four of us were often together if I had allowed myself to look outside my books more often.

"Tadaima!" Tenten called as she entered.

"Excuse me from intruding." I followed.

"Okaerinasai girls!" her mother replied. "Quick, take off your shoes and dig in."

We obeyed eagerly. It had been a long time since I had a lively breakfast. Somehow it felt wrong not to share this moment with Sasuke-Chan, but Tenten was my precious friend. Maybe he'll have a precious friend later, but I doubt it. He was so afraid to connect with people.

While we were eating, I felt a heavy gaze on me. Tenten's father was eying me a lot. It felt weird. I tried to ignore it, but I felt his wife nudging him several time. Did they want something from me? I looked at the Genin next to me. She gave me an apologetic smile. She was like begging me to listen to her parents. I put my chopsticks down.

"Is it something you want from me Uriage-Ojii-San?" I asked the man.

"Well, actually…" (his wife nudged him hard and he repressed a yelp) "That would be very embarrassing to ask something from that to Yanagi-chan."

Tenten cleared her throat.

"Actually Otou-san lost his job last month and we're having a hard time to live only on my Genin missions."

I made a rapid calculus in my head. If you thought of three D rank missions a weak or so for a Genin Corp member, then it was clearly not enough to make a whole family survive. They had probably saved some money beforehand, but that wouldn't be enough.

"I'm really sorry for you, sir. But I don't really understand what you want from me. Is it a clan loan? If so, you'd better ask the Akimichi clan, or maybe the Inuzuka clan. I'd say their interest rates are better than the Uchiha's. Not that I don't want to loan you money, you know…"

My voice trailed. I felt uncomfortable talking to these subjects to these peope. I had to make some adjustments given the fact we weren't gaining that much money, even though we had many possessions. I was about sure there was some stealing somewhere, but I had no idea where and how to react. All I was able to do was counting approximately our gain and losses and taking what Sasuke-Chan and I needed.

The man shook a hand before a plastered smile.

"Well, even though the offer is tempting, I'd really appreciate if you could help me find back a job. Even my wife is ready to work a bit if necessary."

"A job?"

I titled my head sideways. I looked at Tenten interrogatively. Why were they asking me? I only knew the mission systems. I had no idea how civilians handled their work, nor how they obtained one. This was a foreign system, and I'll admit I had never looked any information about that before.

"Yes, you see we don't have much connections with any of the clans in the Village. My old work was about the only thing I had. I was an accountant for a minor clan, but they decided to take someone else."

I frowned. An accountant? That would indeed be useful.

"What are your skills in accountancy? What kind of job were you working on?"

"Well I was handling the clan's profit and loss accounts. I don't expect you'd know anything about it, since you're a ninja and all, but my wife and I expected you'd have some connections…"

I turned to Tenten's mother.

"You'd want me to fond you a job as well?"

"Well, I don't think anyone would pay my husband the same wages he had had before, since he is unemployed."

I asked several details about their working conditions, the salary they expected to get. In the end I twited everything into my head. If I took that much money from the clan's money, plus the Village taxes, I'd still have plenty of money to buy weapons and such for Sasuke-Chan and me, until we were both earning regularly from our own missions. In the meantime, I could have two people managing our clan's property.

All that was left was: could I trust them? As people, as well as their skills?

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"I wouldn't have done such a think if you hadn't ben Tenten's parents. Especially when I'm seeing Megumi-Obaa-san about to kneel before me. That doesn't seem right."

The woman straightened. She had barely moved from her chair, but her embarrassed expression showed me I was right.

"I'd ask you not to reveal the contents of the documents I'll be giving you access to. I'll give you some sort of probation test, if you will. Let's say I'd really like to have some of the clan's administrative tasks out of my hands, since there's just my cousin and me left."

"Does… does that mean…?" the man stuttered.

"Until I find the employment forms, I won't be asking anything from you. But I think the two of you won't be too much to handle all this work."

"You'd really employ us! We were right to ask you Yanagi-Chan." the mother thanked me.

I offered them a crisped smile. Seeing how upset I was to have her parents and herself bowing to me in thanks, Tenten took my hand and ran outside with me. After a moment she slowed down to work. That brusque start wasn't good for my limbs. I was wheezing slightly, my old scar itching me.

"Sorry about that trap." she said. "I didn't think they were that serious about that."

"People's got to live off something."

"But seriously, you looked so cool back there, talking like a businesswoman or something."

"Really? I was just repeating some crap of a book I read. But if I looked professional, that's good. I felt like an idiot in front of your parents."

"You looked… Well I won't say good because that would imply you'd sincerely smile, and that is a thing I haven't seen for a while."

"Hey! I don't know how to smile!" I complained.

I demonstrated such. It felt a bit stiff though. Tenten emitted a sound between a giggle and a snort. I raised a brow in question.

"That may be a smile for your Uchiha folks, but I can assure you it just looks like you plastered something over your face."

"How about this one?" I asked with another try.

"Please don't do that again, it's creepy!" she protested. "Try to make a face, like when you're happy!" (I did as she suggested, but she sighed) "Don't you have anything better than a pokerface? All I've seen you do is either being angry or slightly depressed, and even those faces don't look very different from your usual one. Seriously I do hope you never get infiltration missions."

I was about to complained, then the idea of team 9 in disguise to infiltrate some shady business came to my mind. No, no seriously… I felt the corner of my mouth form a little smirk.

"Imagine if we had to have fake identities! Like Lee-San disguised in anything!"

Her eyes widened suddenly and she giggled.

"No way! That would be so hilarious. He'd blow your cover with his first words!"

"Yeah, he'd be boasting about youthfulness or so, and we'd immediately be discovered. I can totally picture Neji-San face palming and me trying to keep my own cover nonetheless."

"Can you imagine Neji playing anything else than a noble or something? I swear the two of you wouldn't be able to play anything else. That is if any of you can play at all." she mocked.

Were Neji-San and I so stiff and everything? Maybe I'd better my acting skills.

We walked a bit in silence. I was vaguely aware we were going towards the onsen. Hopefully they could lend us some yukata and towels there if we paid a bit. That would be my cue. Then the girl beside tried not to laugh too hard. She just had had another silly idea. I wondered what it was. She muttered it inside my ear.

"I bet Neji-San and you could do some cross-gender and nobody could see the difference."

I grumbled slighty. I only looked flat because I bandaged my chest tight, and it wasn't my fault if I was tall with narrow hips! But she was right, if we could just put some make-up and a dress on Neji-San, the illusion would be near than perfect. We snickered together like idiotic teens.

We were near the open bath when I spotted two other girls going in the same direction. There was a rather tall blonde girl wearing a ponytail and a pink-haired girl clutching a book. At first I thought they were just discussing, but then I noticed the conversation was mostly one-sided. The blonde was vehemently telling stuff to the other girl who merely nodded. She seemed shy and spineless to me.

"Ohayo!" Tenten cheerily greeted them.

They looked at us, slightly slowing down until the four of us found ourselves side by side. I recognized the girls as Sasuke-Chan's teammates. Hadn't I invited the blonde over at the memorable birthday? Yamanaka Ino, I think that was her name. I think I recognized the other girl as well: there weren't many girls with such hair colour in the village. Plus she was reading an advanced history book as I could see. Maybe we'd seen each other sometimes at the library, but I wasn't that sure: I had a hard time remembering anything aside what I was focusing on and not becoming crazy.

I felt more aware of things with that Juuken block in my brain. Seriously even though I had like some numb spot in my head, it felt really good!

"Hah!" the blonde exclaimed pointing her finger at me. "I know who you are. You're Sasuke-Kun's cousin!"

"I am."

"I saw the way you moved during that demonstration, that was so cool! I should have expected you to be that good since you're Sasuke's family."

"How am I supposed to take this?" I asked coldly and she froze.

Tenten nudged my side.

"Oy! Stop being so threatening when someone says something that displeases you!" she whispered. "No wonder you're not able to connect with people with that attitude."

"Whatever." I huffed before handing the reconciliation seal to the blonde. "I'm Uchiha Yanagi. We've seen each other at some occasions I suppose."

She crossed her fingers with mine.

"Yamanaka Ino. I'd be glad if you could be friends."

Pinky raised her hand.

"Me too…" she said with a little voice.

"By friends you mean you genuinely suggest we form a bond, without considering pressuring me to get along with my cousin, am I right?"

Both girls went red and embarrassed. Ino-San quickly regained her composure.

"A kunoïchi must use whatever means to achieve their goals." she said with assurance.

I squinted my eyes;

"I don't like what you're implying about my cousin… Besides, I am not sure our Kekkei Genkai are very compatible. Children between our clan may never be born."

"Kami-Sama… Could you just stop being so protective of your cousin? And just stop trying to cover it with pseudo-scientific facts, okay?"

"I never do that!" I pouted.

"You do that all the time!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

I settled this conversation by a meaningful silence. The four of us walked forward. During our walk, I saw the pink haired girl discreetly glance at me. I looked back and she went all red. Seriously, that tiny bit of girl wants to become a kunoïchi? Well she seemed pretty intelligent if I assumed she understood her book in all its complexity, so maybe she'd get some job at the Cryptology bureau or something.

After a while I had enough of this silence and all her glances so I asked her what she wanted. She kind of buried her head inside her book at that. Her friend Ino explained she was a very shy person. I wondered how she could have attained that class at the Academy.

"Well I don't know how it happened but she kind of befriend a friend of mine." Ino-San said. "So he asked me if I could spend some girl moments with her, and voilà!"

"You don't really sound ecstatic." I noted.

"Hey are you really discussing that in front of her? That's so impolite." Tenten scolded.

"I don't mind." the girl's said while reading.

"Well she's impolite enough to read instead of being with us." Ino-san remarked.

"Doesn't bother me." I replied.

"You'd have done the same with a book!" Tenten complained.

"So what?" I asked back. "So you're befriending her because a friend of yours asked you to?"

"Yes, I did."

"I think it's a good thing." Tenten said. "She doesn't seem very sociable to me. Sometimes you need a friend to hang out and do stuff."

"Hey, stop criticizing me. I go out every single day, so shush!" I groused.

"You go out to train, you never do anything else."

"We're kunoïchi. What else do you expect me to do?" I asked.

"Doing girl stuff?" Ino suggested.

"That's boring." Tenten and I said at the same time.

"Sempai you're no fun." Ino complained.

We finally arrived at the bath. The changing rooms were mostly empty. One or two other woman had come before us. I gave money to the desk lady and she gave towels to Tenten and I. Ino-San had more than enough soap and shampoo for the four of us.

"So er… What's your name again?" Tenten asked the girl as we were taking our clothes off.

"I'm Sakura, Haruno Sakura." she said, closing her book and putting it down.

"I'm Tenten. Are you reading all the time?"

"Whenever I can. But Shikamaru-Kun takes me to watch clouds, or to discuss books. Lately he taught me how to play shogi. Sometimes I play Ninja with him, Ino-Chan and Choji-kun."

"That only happened twice, you know." Ino said.

"Playing ninja?" I asked. "What's that?"

The two kohai looked at me with wide eyes. Sakura-San had really pretty green eyes. I understood why her parents gave her such an obvious name. She really looked like a springtime cherry blossom.

"Yanagi-Sempai, you never have fun, do you?" Ino-san asked.

"That's Yanagi-San for you." Tenten said.

"I mean, it looked cool for Sasuke-Kun, but that makes you boring." she commented.

"Hey, training is fun, okay! And so is reading!" I complained.

Sakura-San nodded at my last sentence. I think I might like that girl. I'd rather like if she was bolder or something, but she looked fine. Tenten and I were both in our underwear. It seemed to embarrass Sakura-San greatly, because she hid herself at the other side of the room. She should get used to that. We'd be naked and scrubbing our bodies with the same soap later.

"I swear Sempai is almost as social as Sakura-Chan." Ino complained.

"She used to be better before…" Tenten said, sending a meaningful glance.

"Oh, I see." Ino-San said.

I unclasped my chest binder. That delicious sensation of freedom! It felt so good! Tenten and Ino-San had the same envious look. Sakura-San was simply red.

"You know sometimes I hate you." Tenten said.

"I'd give you these anytime." I replied. "I'm glad I can press them enough so they don't hinder me when I fight."

"Damn Sempai, what are you eating to have these? I think Hinata-Chan from our class is bigger, though."

"Stop dieting, eat proper food and train more." I replied.

"Training is your answer for everything!" Tenten sighed.

"What if it is?" I replied.

We moved to the bath. The steam welcomed us in its warm arms. Sakura-San was still hiding under her towel. Tenten and I didn't care, and I swear Ino-San was carrying an entire bucket of beauty products. I guessed where all her allowance and training time went.

"Damn, your scar is pretty showing." Tenten muttered, and her fingers grazed the mark on my back.

"Yuck! That's so ugly!" Ino-San commented.

"How did it happened?" Sakura-San dared asking.

I stroked the twin mark that was disgracefully decorating my left breast.

"That's another story for another time, girls." I muttered.

I sat on one of the stools and turned the shower on. The thunder-like noise filled my ears and I let myself relax under the hot water. Sakura-San sat on one side and Tenten on the other. They mimicked my gesture. The soap passed trough everyone hand and so did the shampoo.

"You hair have grown." Tenten rearked. "I couldn't see with all the curls but it really did."

"I should cut them soon." I said.

"Long hair is beautiful, Sempai. I heard Sasuke-kun likes long-haired girl?"

"Does he? I'd have no idea. We don't discuss that?"

Did Sasuke-Chan emitted such a preference before? I looked through my memories. From what I knew, I thought I heard Shisui-Nii teasing Itachi-Sama about his likeness of long-haired girls. Anyway, when Sasuke-Chan will tell me why he liked that or that girl, the world might come to an end.

We were still chatting, enjoying the heat of the pool when a spirited girl opened the door.

"Hello! I've come to join you girls!" said the unknown teenager.

She was blonde with a sun kissed skin. She had curves like any man could dream of. Tall, blonde with blue eyes, she was like a dream come true. While my comrades didn't know how to react at the girl's entry, I remarked the whiskers on her cheeks. Don't tell me this was…

The girl spotted us at the same time I stood up.

"Heh! Sakura-Chan and Teme's Nee-Chan? What ar…"

Blood dripped from his nose even before I started to move. The next fraction of second my leg connected with his abdomen and he was thrown outside the tiled room, flew through the dressing room and fell outside the bath. His Henge dropped in the meantime. I had been so right. I grabbed a towel as the girls were asking me what was going through my head.

I wrapped the towel around my frame and it drank some of the water around my naked body. Water was falling from my hair as I walked to the moaning form of Uzumaki Naruto.

"What did you think you were doing, idiotic kid!" I growled. "Peeping in the woman's bath."

As I approached, he sensed he shouldn't stay there in case I would hit him again. Wobbly, painfully, he went away from his landing spot. I stepped outside to watch him leave. That is when I heard the distinguishable click of a camera. Gritting my teeth, I twirled around to face the other pervert. He had the time to take other pictures of me.

"Who do you think you are?" I yelled.

"Yanagi!" Tenten exclaimed as she went outside as well.

"Great, great! Two wet and young beauties by the end of the Summer!" the man crooned.

He was big and white haired, wearing a red vest above a green kimono and pants. Other parts of his body were covered by a mesh shirt, and so were his legs. He was crouching on his gettas, flashing his camera at us. Without thinking I went to a fast Jutsu and turned my Sharingan on. That offender was a Shinobi: I had no doubt he wasn't. My hands formed the tiger seal and a few others.

"Katon, Hosenka no Jutsu!" I shouted.

Several balls of fire erupted from my mouth. I hadn't had the time to use shuriken and wires to direct the flower-like shapes, but my aim was good enough to make the man draw back. He took some other pictures. Behind me Tenten had gone inside again to fetch her projectiles. I looked at the flames. I used to make a hotter fire than that. My chakra control had really gone bad these days. Well it was still better than the red fire Sasuke-Chan produced, but I used to make pure and blue flames.

"Impressive, beautiful girl! This will really help me from my res…"

Ino-san and Sakura-san had put a yukata on and they were throwing wooden buckets at him. There were lots of noise. People were coming to our side. The old shinobi took his camera down. His face had two long red lines coming from corner of his eyes. It wasn't a familiar clan marking. His brown eyes looked and me and he winked before disappearing. Immediately after I threw myself inside the dressing room and dressed as well.

"The hell was this guy?" I raged. "Damn, two perverts a day, and people expect me to do something apart from training."

"Two perverts?" Ino-san asked. "You mean the girl from before…"

"That was Uzumaki Naruto in some sort of sophisticated Henge. No luck for him, I'm really good at detecting illusions." I explained.

"The man outside looked like Jiraya-Sama." Tenten said.

"Like in one of the Sannin?" Sakura-san asked. "But I thought they were like respectable ninja that had thought during the war…"

"You'd know that through your idolization of Tsunade-Sama, right?" I asked the girl. "But if you're right, I might find stuff at the library about this guy."

"Can I come along?" Sakura-San asked.

I shrugged. Why not?

"Seriously? A weird old man takes embarrassing pictures of you and you go to the _library_?" Ino-San explained. "Something's not right with you Sempai."

"Let's go, Sakura-San." I offered. "Right after we put on our clothes."

"Hey, are you ditching me?" Tenten complained.

Wait for me, perverted Sannin. I'd make you regret this!

* * *

 _Happy New Year Everyone!  
_

 _Don't forget to review in 2016 :D_


	10. Inversion

_The Doctor : Do you know what thinking is? It's just a fancy word for changing your mind._

 _Bonnie : I will not change my mind._

 _The Doctor : Then you will die stupid._

 **Chapter 10 : Inversion**

The library was deadly silent. Sakura and I were looking into several documents. Of course some of the recent works spoke highly of Jiraya-Sama, and some history books as well. I learned he was a student of the third Hokage as well as a renowed sealmaster. I was starting to wonder how I would manage to get my revenge on that perverted old man.

I was no fool enough to confront him directly.

I looked at the pink haired girl who had volunteered to go with me. The two other girls had that sort of aversion for libraries I couldn't understand. That quiet shade of a girl who had come with me in my research was of my liking. She was a little bit on the thin side, though. She didn't look physically apt to be a kunoïchi. I knew it could be somehow deceptive, but I didn't think I was really out of track in this matter.

Haruno Sakura was a weak child; she might never attain the Genin rank.

A pity, but ninja work was tough.

Yet, she had some skills I couldn't deny. She was efficient in her searching, and I could see the way she ticked. She had a highly structured mind and was a fast thinker. There was also something else in her quietness. She seemed observant of everything around her, but that wasn't what shocked me. That girl's appearance was the opposite of discreet: long pink hair and vivid green eyes. But when she moved, I could barely hear her. If I wasn't paying enough attention, I wouldn't have realized she had gone to pick another book. She was barely noticeable when she wanted to.

What a curious girl she was.

"Hum… Senpai?" she called me.

I looked at her.

"I doubt we'll find anything more than what we've already did." she muttered with that unsure voice of hers.

I nodded. It was obviously because of that reason and because all the plans I might have had in mind seemed full of flaws that I was analysing the girl in front of me. We cleaned our table of all the pens and papers and scrolls and put the books back on their respective shells. The desk lady waved at us when we left. Sakura-San and I bowed together.

My stomach growled lightly. The Academy student pursed her lips, trying not to giggle. I gave her a glare.

"It's lunchtime anyway. I should go home feed my cousin." I sighed.

That imbecile probably had no clue how to use the rice cooker correctly. I was wondering what I would be eating when Sakura-San spotted both our friends chatting on a bench. Tenten's shoulders looked stiff. I think she was containing her annoyance. As we walked towards them, I understood that Ino-San had been talking about beauty products with my tomboy friend.

"Ah! Senpai! Sakura! Welcome back!" she greeted us. "We were discussing make-up tips."

Tenten was silently begging me to get us away from the blonde.

"That's an… interesting subject." I said.

"None of you seem to use much of it. I thought I should give you some advices." she beamed at me.

"It was very detailed." Tenten deadpanned.

"I expected no less from Ino-San. You seem to take care of your appearance in all circumstances." I added.

Sakura-san gave me a puzzled look, probably wondering if I had complimented or insulted her friend. The blonde frowned; she had probably understood the depth of my thought. Make-up could reveal itself useful when your aim was to be charismatic or seductive, but these missions were out of my reach for now. I seldom used mascara, and only to mask the blood tears that had rolled from my eyes after I had struggled against the Genjutsu in my head.

"Well, it's time I take my leave." I said.

"That soon?" Ino-San asked, half-relieved, half-disappointed.

I was wondering how far she was willing to go to befriend me. Did she think I would let my cousin to someone as superficial as her? I decided that I shouldn't let her hope for something that futile.

"Yes, Ino-San." I answered calmly. "You may be the heir of the Yamanaka clan and I a simple member of the Uchiha clan, I think we both know what we're worth."

Her eyes widened. Tenten eyed me warily.

"I'm sorry? I'm afraid I have no idea of what you're implying, Yanagi-Senpai."

"You don't? Shall I make myself clearer?" I asked with a colder tone. "You think you're gonna be a good kunoïchi, an adequate heir to your clan and marry my brother later with your current pathetic self. Don't make me laugh. You don't become a fighter through skincare and shampoos."

She gritted her teeth. Fists clenched, she stood up before me. I was taller that her and way stronger. I deliberately looked away to Tenten.

"Would you mind pick up some documents at my house to give to your parents?" I asked. "I stored them in my desk for most of them."

"Okay." she said.

I nodded at the girls, though I tried to look nicer to Sakura-San. Then we walked away.

"Wait!" Ino-san shouted. "I won't let you go like that."

"What do you want?" I huffed in annoyance. "You are not the type of person I'd befriend."

"You don't befriend anyone lately." Tenten remarked.

"So not true! I like Sakura-San. I think we could be friends." I retorted.

Tenten looked at the pink haired girl. She looked very embarrassed by the situation, but happy of my words.

"Plus there is Naruto-Kun I usually see in my morning training." I said. "I don't know if we're friend, but I think he's an interesting little guy."

"I see! Then maybe you _are_ getting better!"

"Wait Uchiha Yanagi-Senpai! We haven't finished talking!" Ino-San yelled.

I stopped and looked at her from above my shoulder. She was totally raging. Even Sakura-San had stepped back, hiding herself behind her book. Her eyes were watchful, though. Good. I looked at the blonde.

"Is that so?" I asked.

"I don't care if you don't accept me as a friend. But you will let me have Sasuke-Kun!"

"You're being ridiculous, you know. Throwing that sort of a tantrum will do exactly the contrary to what you are expecting. You'd better give up."

"In your dreams, Senpai!"

She put herself in a fighting stance. Was she really thinking of fighting me head on?

"Ino… You shouldn't…" Sakura-san muttered.

"Shut up Sakura! At least I admit my feelings for Sasuke, unlike you!"

Her friend gasped loudly, a redness crawling on her neck and cheeks. So Sakura-san was attracted to my little cousin too… Seriously, what did he have of particular? All their promotion was filled with clan heirs and such. Sasuke-Chan wasn't particularly manly, he looked too much like Mikoto-Sama for that. Plus, he wasn't training that much, only thinking excelling in most of the courses was enough to be a good shinobi.

"I don't wish to fight you, Ino-San. I believe you have a standard training, but I don't think this will be enough to win against me. Furthermore, even if I did lost against you, I don't see why I would accept you as my cousin's boyfriend, nor why I would aid you to achieve that goal."

She put her hands forward in a seal I didn't recognise.

"I don't need to fight you Senpai! Shintenshin no jutsu!"

I felt like my mind was trembling. Suddenly I couldn't move my limbs as the girl's chakra was suddenly entering me. At first my mind was sending me the same signals as when I was hit by a Genjutsu, but it wasn't that. No, it was entirely real. Yes, the girl had literally entered my mind and taken control of it. I started to panic. I could hear her mocking me in victory.

I couldn't even close my eyes, nor activate my Sharingan to chase her away.

"What the…!" Tenten shouted as she jumped forward to catch Ino's falling body.

That pig! She had entered my body! I tried to tog at my chakra, but it wasn't reacting. I felt something akin somewhere to a flutter but I couldn't sense where. Hidden and blocked in the back of my mind I could do nothing. Even the concept of where was irrelevant here.

"I have taken Senpai's body with my own spirit." Ino-san explained with my voice.

I started searching for that chakra flutter again. I had never been a sensor, and I probably never will. The best I could do was recognize my kinsmen when they were close to me. That actually meant I could see where Sasuke-was if I was in the same neighbourhood. And that only if I focused enough at the moment he was using his chakra. So very unlikely.

Yet I couldn't explain this feeling other than _sensing_ chakra. It was like pulling on an invisible strong with something far on the other side. I had no hands to grip it, but I tried. I think catching water with my bare hands would have been more effective. At least I could cup water and keep some in my hands if I wanted to. This was literally like plunging into water and only be slightly moisturized. I focused again.

There was a time I had been one of the best Katon user of the clan because my flame was pure and almost blue. There was a time I was experimenting every day because I had to put my mind on something and hadn't any instrument to play on. There was a time where I was hiding my talent to surprise my relatives with my new skills.

 **"Are you showing off, Yanagi?"**

Brother's words resonated in my secluded area. I wasn't keeping attention to the boasting Ino-san anymore. She was probably still gloating about being able to win against a Genin. I kept focusing. I had found my way. I felt my hand twitching. She didn't notice. Yes, this was probably the way to go. It was time to push her out of my head. I started activating the parts of my brain with my chakra. She didn't resist me.

"So what, Yanagi-Senpai? Are you giving up?" she laughed again.

"Does it look like it?" I asked.

I opened my eyes and sat up. Sakura-san was closer to me than I had remembered. Had the girl moved while I was focusing on being the only one in my head?

"What have you done!" she shreaked in fear.

I looked at her. Or actually I looked at me through Ino-san's eyes.

What.

The.

Fuck?

I looked at my thin body. It was telling me it was a bit hungry. My muscles weren't that developed, my chest either for that matter. Long, pale blonde strands of hair were obscuring the lest side of my face. I had never had such long and straight hair before. I reached for them with my thin manicured hand. My nails were glimmering under the sinlight. There weren't any scars or calluses due to intensive kunai use.

I went to my feet, looking at the girl in front of me.

"What the fuck Ino-San?" I hissed with a voice that was to high-pitched to be mine.

"Did… Did they just switch?" Tenten asked.

"It seems like it." Sakura muttered. "Are you Yanagi-Senpai?"

"Yes, apparently." I said.

I scratched the back of my head like I used to do. My hair was so smooth under my hands, so different than the rough curls I was used to.

"Don't do that! You'll ruin my nails!" I yelled at myself.

It was very strange. I mean seeing myself controlled by someone else. And being in that someone else's mind.

I looked at my body. It was very different than looking at myself in a mirror. There was more depths and relief now that I had an outside look. My face was bonier than I thought. Actually I really had that sort of average boyish face without make-up. I wasn't particularly pretty, as if all the Uchiha beauty traits had been lost on my face. As if genetics had decided for that average look: not particularly pretty, not particularly ugly. Just a normal plain face surrounded by seaweed-like hair.

"You seem pretty calm about all this." Sakura-San remarked.

"Oh, I bet some part of her is boiling hard enough." Tenten said. "I think she's just trying to analyse what she's going through right now."

"What did you do?" Ino-San freaked. "Seriously! That wasn't supposed to happen!"

"I tried to move you out of my mind. I thought there was a way through chakra." I replied. "Can't you just posess my body again and we switch again?"

"A chakra path? Oh no! Don't tell me you've…"

She frowned. Hum… I should never frown, it made some sort of ugly wrinkles on my forehead. She put my hands forward and did the same seal as before. She tried, and tried, and tried…

"Senpai, you idiot! You've altered my way out!"

"Eh? What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled.

"You took the path I had settled to take your body over. Which means I can't use my Kekkei Genkai while in your body."

"Well that just mean I have to use that jutsu for myself. I should have copied it with my Sharingan."

"I don't think you have the abilities to trigger it. Even if you had, it would be very dangerous."

"Dangerous like what? Headaches or chakra depletion? I think I can deal with that."

"Yanagi-Senpai, my clan Jutsu mainly consist in manipulating spiritual energy to put your spirit out of your mind. I don't know how you manage to wake up in my body, but you remember using the path I had settled with my chakra. In short you'd try to use this Jutsu with no safeguard to make things right. Either you won't succeed at doing the technique, or your mind is likely to be lost outside your body."

I shuddered. I didn't want to try this.

"So we can't undo it by ourselves. Let's try someone from your clan then." I suggested.

"Please, could you be a little bit more feminine when you use my body? I look like I'm a soldier reporting to its hierarchy."

I looked how gracefully she moved. It wasn't efficient at all. Yet looking at me moving that way… I looked more attractive, more fragile. Interesting. But if I told her I thought I looked a bit too sultry, she wouldn't take it positively.

"As for my clansmen, I think of one or two persons to help us… Too bad my dad's in a mission right now. Follow me, I'll show you the Yamanaka estate."

She turned her heels. She looked much more feminine and loveable than I probably did. I felt like walking in a costume that was alternatively too tight or too wide for me. Instinctively I tried to follow the way she walked instead of marching. It felt odd, honestly I tried to think of me as if I was Yamanaka Ino. How about I was living in that petite yet tone body for all my life? What if I had been that girl? What were my concerns in life?

I didn't knew much about her, but had I seen today? She was walking with a slight swing of her hips, trying to look older than she was. She wanted to impress my little cousin so that he would fall for her. Quite the charmer, wasn't she? The way she talked, the way she moved, everything was me now. What quirks made her Yamanaka Ino, and not just me trying to impersonate her.

"Damn, you look like a model today." Tenten noted as she followed my body. "You know with the height and all."

"You're so right!" I heard Ino-San say with my voice. "Seriously with the right dress and make-up, you'd be stunning!"

I raised a disbelieving brow at that. No, this was wrong. Ino-San would have pouted, wouldn't she? Like she was this cute little girl, hiding her temperament to everyone around. She was popular because she was smart and beautiful, quite like the person I had been a few years ago. I tried to remind these memories. They seemed so bland and fuzzy. What about her friends? If I was correct she was friend with that boring young genius from the Nara clan, and the heir of the Akimichi clan. They would form a team later. They had been raised that way by their parents I supposed.

"I'm serious!" she added. "You could be so pretty with some help."

Yeah, right! I would have snorted at that, had I been Uchiha Yanagi. But I wasn't right now. Right now I was Yamanaka Ino. I was a girl who had real sensing abilities and a seemingly okay Genjutsu user. My father was the head of the T&I department, and my mother was a civilian florist. I think I remember this story being quite the tale in the women of the clan. The three clan head had taken civilians or ninjas with a civilian background as their wives and not members of their own clan.

"But you'd never be as pretty as I am." I said with a slightly arrogant smile.

The girls looked at me with their eyes wide. Had I hit the mark? Did I act correctly? I walked three steps to the tall girl, still smiling. Yes, I was a girl who was confident in her appearance. She thought she was a beautiful girl. She felt like everyone should look at her. She was proud to be the heir of a respectable ninja clan. Yes, she was all these shades at the same time. I flicked her nose with amusement (I flicked my body's nose with her fingers).

"Don't worry Senpai, you'll fully bloom later. I'm sure of it!" I assured her.

"I'm… lost." Sakura-San remarked.

"Wow, what just happened here? I thught you were supposed to have exchanged your bodies or something akin." Tenten added. "But Yanagi isn't herself, and seem exactly as silly as before."

My body and the body I was in turned to the girl. With the same voice we yelled:

"Hey! Don't you dare saying I'm silly!"

Sakura-san looked at my body. Then she looked at me. She looked back and forth.

"Yanagi-Senpai, I didn't know you were good at acting."

"Actually It's only thanks to the fact none of us know Ino-San fully. I would be immediately discovered by her family members or closer friends." I explained with the tone I thought appropriate. "Actually I tried to remember her body language without using my Sharingan since I can't use it while in her body."

Tenten's eyes lit up.

"That's true! Had you been in your own body, you'd have dissected her with your Dôjutsu and all"

"What is Sharingan?" Sakura-san asked

"It's an Uchiha clan technique. Only the best members can use it. It must be awakened by special means."

"Is that so?" Ino-San asked through my body. "I wonder if I can use it."

"It's not like using it a battle is difficult." I explained.

"You bet, you're using it all the time." Tenten said.

"I don't!" I denied.

"Yeah, sure! You and me both know your accuracy is super bad without those eyes. Neji told you were as bad as Lee when battling without your Sharingan."

"So not true! I was fighting it without it when we fought in front of those Academy students. But if you're right that must explain why Gekko-Senpai makes me train without the swords."

"We're here." Ino-San signalled as we found ourselves in front of the flower shop.

I squinted my eyes. What to do now? I hadn't enough information to be Ino-San all the time. Well it wasn't like I didn't want to get found out but it felt unnerving. Failing at acting, that is. Failing in general, in fact. Probably a family trait: Sasuke-Chan had often his moments as well.

I nodded in direction of the girls, stretched my body (I liked how Ino-San's body didn't creak when I extended its arms), and opened the door.

"Mom, I'm home. I brought friends over." I said looking at the flowers.

I hoped Ino-San's mother wouldn't interrogate me about flowers. I never understood all this ikebana stuff. Seriously, the only bouquets I had made looked wrong to me, and I always did them to put on my relative's graves.

Yamanaka Nana was a petite blonde civilian. I heard she was the biggest source of gossip of the town. Really, whenever I had to go by their shop I tried not to talk to her. As well as when I went to see my psychiatrist. Since I was now "her daughter", that would prove tricky.

"Well hello dearies." the woman greeted us. "Sakura-Chan, Yanagi-Chan, and…"

"I'm Tenten."

I frowned slightly seeing myself not cringing at the suffix. Either she didn't note it, or she was too busy observing my friend. That woman criticized people a lot basing on their appearance. I supposed she was even more perceptive than she looked since she married into the Yamanaka clan. The woman addressed me a look. I couldn't tell if it was a proud one or a sly one.

"I didn't know you and Yanagi-Chan were that close." she said.

Ino-San didn't make my body cringe again. I had a hard time not to make her body cringe, but I rather straightened her spine and flashed a smile. Her mother mirrored it. Seriously, did they think they could use me that easily?

"Actually, we've never been as close as today." I heard Ino-san say through my body.

"I guess that's the closest people can be." I added.

Tenten snickered. Sakura-San's lips quirked in a slight smirk. Nana-San pursed her lips. She suddenly gripped both our shoulders and forced us to stand side by side. She looked very closely.

"Ino…." she started with a threatening tone.

My real body shuddered.

"I swear I didn't do it on purpose!" she blurted.

I looked at her. She was the one who blew our cover. Not that I especially wanted to keep it. I just like being on the winning side. Her mother facepalmed.

"Seriously! Why does nobody tell me how trouble you ninja-people are?" she ranted.

"Sorry for the inconvenience." I apologized. "We were in the middle of training and our jutsu clashed badly."

Yamanaka Nana gave me the _look_. I never had to face it much since I had no mother. But Mikoto-Sama had gave it to me from time to time. Like she knew how much of a liar I was. I knew I had given a good excuse. I didn't know why I was covering for Ino-San, but I did. Maybe I did felt closer to her while occupying her body.

"I like you, Yanagi-Chan, but I know my daughter. I have a fairly precise idea of why she took your body over. I know how fond she is of your cousin."

"I'm not sure _being fond of_ is the term I would have used here." I said dryly.

"If you were that blunt to her, no wonder you found yourselves in that situation."

"She wasn't blunt, Mom, she was _insulting_." she growled.

"I was being realistic, Ino-San. My clan values talent. And you've mostly shown superficiality and a lack of interest in the ninja field. If I add the fact that your crush on my cousin is akin to an obsessive behaviour…"

"Please don't tell me you're criticizing my daughter in front of me, in our house, while occupying her body." Nana-San interrupted me.

I had the great idea to shut up. Hopefully Ino-San talked after me.

"So Mom, do you know if Dad's round here? I'd really like not to stay in her body."

"But dear, you know your father had a mission. He won't be there for a week."

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

I was trapped into her body for a week.

* * *

 _Hey guys!  
_

 _Yes the quote at the beginning of this chapter was from Doctor Who (I love this series, even though the scenarists/directors under Moffat are doing weird stuff really)_

 _I hope you liked this chapter. I know I did since it will be an important arc for this fanfic._

 _I was growing a bit worried about Yanagi, though. Is she going Marie-Sue(ish) or not? I feel like she doesn't have superpowers or anything, and her battle prowess are only because she uses her Sharingan like all the timeand is some kind of genius (not quite a genious, she's just very smart and very persistent). So you tell me!_

 _I also had some questions about Yanagi and Neji. Why aren't they dating or saying anything to each other? I don't know if you've remarked that, but Yanagi is a bit hopeless in sociaety (and so is Neji). Actually she understands how people react when they are under stress or anger, and so on, but she can't understand why they feel that way. And she had that need to understand since she can't understand the emotions within her. If you want to place what happened in her life: her mother died at birth, her father died when she was 4 and then she started the Academy at 5 or 6. During that time, she has been educated by minor Uchiha clan members who wanted to use her for political gain. Instead of helping her, caring for her or protecting her, her brother Shisui is rather distant (he is 13 when she is 5 approximately, which would make Itachi 8 and Sasuke 3), and is even trying to keep her from showing her talents (You'll learn why later). So in her earlier life, Yanagi has been used to be stripped of her relatives to produce results, and such can only understand others through hard work (even though she does have emotions and holds subjective opinion like every human being)._

 _So if Yanagi had feelings for Neji, she wouldn't be able to detect them, nor to voice them. Which leaves only Neji for the feelings part. Neji the icecube... Not a pretty good combo. But there will be some interactions later (especially because they are teenagers full of hormones :P)_

 _minamicchi : So Neji and Sasuke interactions? Probably in next chapter, but I don't think there will be any bickering over Yanagi. Yet._

 _ZabuzaGirl : Love the enthusiam !_

 _Girl-luvs-manga : I know right! This is exactly the "Must use books to solve problem" side of Yanagi XD_

 _Guest : Yes, a Neji perverted with Icha-Icha. And after that people want me to write interactions between my Yanagi and that perv._

 _Anyway, I'll try to update next week. See ya!_


	11. Secret Mission

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started" Mark Twain

 **Chapter 11 : Secret mission**

"So you're Yanagi, and you're Ino" Sasuke-Chan said pointing us with his fingers.

In the end, because it was lunchtime, we had been all invited to eat within the Yamanaka clan. All meant Ino-San and I (in each other's body), Sakura-San, Tenten, Sasuke-Chan, Neji-San and Lee-San. At first Tenten went to my home to pick the documents for her parents, and my cousin had followed her. On their way they had encountered my teammates, and my friend had thought it would be good to have them with us.

Also because they just come back from my hospital room.

This was a weird way to gather all the people I knew. My first friend/family/relatives/acquaintance meeting.

I was being examined by that old Yamanaka woman when they entered. She was frowning at me, telling how messed up my mind was. Apparently she wasn't convinced by my monthly therapy with Yamanaka Inokane. Her wrinkled hand on my skin felt weird: I don't remember an elder of our clan ever touched me in that fashion. As the woman left us by ourselves, I turned to the people who entered. Sasuke-Chan's gaze was piercing. I sheepishly brushed the hair at the back of my head. Ino-San hissed in my body. I was making a mess of her perfectly straight hair.

"Have you been experimenting with Ninjutsu again?" he asked.

"What? No!" I exclaimed.

"She experimented Ninjutsu?" Neji-San remarked as he sat near us.

He immediately activated his Byakugan to examine our chakra path. Being analysed by his white veined eyes felt unnerving. I looked away. I wouldn't have known Ino-San's body would flush that easily. Immediately after that I felt the weight of all the people in the room on my shoulders. What had I done again?

"I never do that." I pouted.

"That wouldn't surprise me, coming from a training freak like her." Tenten teased.

"So even your friends know you're training too much." Sasuke-Chan commented.

"Training brings out the fire of youth!" Lee shouted.

Ino-San in my body and Sakura-San looked at him in awe. Sasuke-Chan and Neji-San had the same blank face which was barely hiding their scorn at the green clad boy. My body elbowed me on the side.

"Is… is he for real?" Ino-San muttered.

"Unfortunately." I said.

"By the way, who's the long-haired hottie over there?"

I looked at Neji-San. I had never thought of him in such a disgraceful manner. Yet it seemed the remark had pleased him: I could see the smirk on his lips. I scowled at him.

"Why are you still analysing me?" I grumbled. "It's annoying."

"It's fascinating to see your chakra signals in another system." he said.

Sasuke-Chan glared at Neji-San. And why was everyone looking at me with a smile? They were expecting something from me, but I had no idea what. Yamanaka Nana clapped her hands, inviting us to eat together. She had a hesitation about which girl was hers, and finally decided we all needed a hug. I briefly closed my eyes, savouring her warmth a bit before drawing back. I didn't like being hugged much, and I didn't need reassurance.

"Sasuke-Kun! Come and hug me!" Ino-San chirped through my lips.

The boy froze before curling his nose in distaste. I stared at the girl with cold blue eyes.

"Did you think being in my body would change the fact that Sasuke-Chan isn't tactile?" I asked. "You were the one assuming you'd get him by taking my body over."

"All right, all right! I get it! I made a mistake! Are you happy now?" she ranted.

"I'm not sure you've actually understood how stupid that was." I continued.

"And here she goes…" Tenten sighed.

"Hn." Sasuke-Chan added.

We sat in the living room, Ino-San in my body next to her mother, then Sakura-San and Lee-San (he had howled his love at her as soon as he had seen the shy girl seated near him). I was in front of Sakura-Chan, squeezed between Tenten and Sasuke-Chan My cousin had insisted to be seated next Neji-San who was already busy restraining Lee-San. I had no idea he was that interested in the Hyuuga clan. Last time I talked about it, he was thinking very poorly of Hinata-hime.

I looked at Sasuke-Chan. He was glaring at Neji-San, but the Hyuuga seemed unperturbed. Yet again Sasuke-Chan was a prick to everyone.

The food was good. It had been a while since I was able to enjoy so much company in an entire course. I think my cousin was happy as well, even though he didn't show anything. Even though I could only think that there was something bothering him. Despite that the lunch went on greatly, and I think I was almost able to smile.

It seemed so easy to smile when I wasn't being myself.

How much did I lose from the day I stopped dreaming?

The old lady that had examined me came back as we were finished eating. Ino-San's mother had invited Sasuke-Chan and I to stay by the time we girls could correct the problem that led us there. After a moment of hesitation, we accepted. I think the boy never slept outside the compound for his entire life, and I hadn't had a sleepover for ages.

"What should we do about the Academy until the problem is solved?" I asked then. "Should we both perform a Henge and act as if everything was normal?"

"That seems like the best thing to do." an old voice agreed. "Uchiha-San, Nana-San, please follow me."

The old woman who had examined me before was there again. I bowed politely, and so did Yamanaka Nana. As we stood up, Ino-San did the same. The old woman waved a hand at her.

"There's no need to rush things, Ino-Chan" she said.

"Aren't you going to help us separate? It shouldn't be that hard." Ino-San stated.

"Alas my child, this issue seems deeper than expected. Due to the spiritual use of both or Kekkei Genkai, we have some questions to ask Uchiha-San."

She looked disappointed. Both the women walked me to a back room. I was used to Ino-San's body now, at least for walking and strolling. I was still amazed by this chakra feeling sense. I was very aware of it since I didn't possess it before, or with a limited range. It wasn't like seeing or hearing or touching, so much of being _aware_ of everything around. There was some sort of glow or tingling everywhere around me. And that was Chakra.

They opened a door on the side, and immediately the two women fell on their knees.

Sitting behind a table, a cup of green tea in his hands, was the Sandaime Hokage. My body was paralyzed. I was unable to move.

I still couldn't tell whether I hated that man for allowing my clan to die, or loving him for what he did after everyone was dead. He had really seemed concerned by our lives.

"Ho… Hokage-Saa!" I spluttered.

The Yamanaka elder eyed me warily. I immediately bowed to the head of our Village. The old man offered me a wrinkled smile and waved a hand at me.

"Well, well, if it isn't Uchiha Yanagi. You're still causing troubles, aren't you?" He said lightly.

I blushed and looked away. The last time I had got to see the man were before after father died, after Shisui-Nii died, and when Sasuke-Chan had managed to make the rice cooker explode. I had never got to see him in the Mission Desk, since our mission never were important enough. About that last point that was probably Gai-Sensei's doing.

"I told you it wasn't my fault if that rice cooker caused a power cut in the whole building. I paid for it, right?" I pouted.

"Please sit down."

I obeyed. A few minutes later the old woman, Ino-San's mother and myself were also given hot tea. The old Sarutobi clansman was observing me. Under his aged gaze I felt so small. I tried not to faze, not to look on the side.

"So, why don't you tell me how you manage so swap bodies with Yamanaka Ino?" he asked.

What was he doing? The Hokage wouldn't have moved for such a petty reason. It meant there was something deeper playing here. I didn't like people who weren't going straight to the point. Everyone had done that when father had died, and when brother had died as well. Everyone was walking on eggshells around me. As if they wanted to alleviate the pain by not speaking the right words. I just felt like I was treated like a kid. Though I wasn't really a kid anymore…

My eyes hardened on the old man in front of me. I could sense the old Yamanaka expressing her displeasure. I didn't care. I was the current regent for the Uchiha clan, which made me almost as powerful as the clan head. I would deal with the Hokage with my own strength, and he would treat me with the deference my role required.

"So why don't you tell me what the matter is?" I asked back.

"Such sharpness in you, Yanagi-Chan…"

"Please Hokage-Sama, it seems important enough to see me now. I'd appreciate if you didn't make us lose any more time with useless politeness."

His eyes filled with sadness. I gritted my teeth. I didn't need his sadness. I tried to put all these feelings away and to focus on the current conversation. The old man cleared his voice.

"Yamanaka Inomi, Yamanaka Nana, as I have informed you earlier, I am asking you to keep Yanagi-San in your daughter's body until Inoichi comes back from his mission. Thus Yanagi-San might endanger the body of the Yamanaka heiress during this operation. It will be off the records."

I flinched. What did he just say?

"Are you sending my underage daughter on a mission?" Nana-San worried. "It's impossible!"

"I don't think either of Yanagi-San or Ino-San will be in a grave danger. But the situation they are finding themselves is a great opportunity. In the one hand your Heiress will learn what is really needed to be a kunoïchi in our village."

"How dangerous will this mission be?" the Elder asked.

"It is a simple information retrieval. In this case, Yanagi-San and Ino-San exchanging their body isn't a well-known fact. Even if it leaks, everyone will assume your clan would have make the right changes. Which implies your Heiress will live Yanagi-San's life for a week."

"Are you hearing what you are saying, Hokage-Sama!" Nana-San exclaimed. "You are sending my baby into battle"

"Nana! Watch your mouth" the Elder said.

"What is the nature of the information?" I asked. "I don't understand why I would need to go in a secret mission inside Ino-San's body."

"This will be a simple observation mission. I'll explain further once everyone agrees for this mission to take place."

"What are the consequences of not obtaining this information?" the Elder said.

"They won't pain either of your clans, I promise. I'm afraid they solely concern Yanagi-San."

Yamanaka Nana wouldn't want me to put her daughter in danger. But I felt there was something big going on, bigger than what the old man was explaining. Something that had to do with me. I couldn't let anything impair me. What if it was related to Itachi-Sama! Or Sasuke-Chan! I had to be strong.

"You're sure this mission won't endanger the girls?" The civilian mother asked again.

"I give you my word, Nana-San." The Hokage said and he bowed to her.

"Look at what you're making the Hokage do!" the Elder hissed.

I turned to her.

"I have a question: how dangerous is it for us to remain in each other's body for a week? Even though this mission seems very important, I wouldn't want to hurt Ino-San."

"There will be some things you will gain from each other, tiny things. Take it like remaining memories stored in your bodies. The more you stay in another's body, the more you get used to it, until the soul and the body finally merge."

I frowned. The result would get two people that wouldn't be me or Ino-San's anymore. We'd be a mix of each other.

"But don't worry, a week isn't enough for this to happen. At best you'd get a slight change in your personality. But these happen often in one's life after an important experience." The Elder explained.

While we were discussing the possible outcomes, given that both our Kekkei Genkai had clashed, the Hokage was finally convincing Nana-San to "lend" me her daughter's body for a week. I understood that a civilian had a very different viewpoint than ours. Still it wasn't much: The Hokage was just using an opportunity that Ino-San's obsession with my cousin had offered.

Speaking of which, I wondered how the man had learned about the switch. I assumed the Yamanaka clan had prevented him about it; unofficially messing with the mind of another clan's kid wasn't legal after all.

"If I understand well, you want our Heiress to impersonate the last Uchiha girl, and have said girl spying on an event that you think will happen to her. So why using not someone else as our Heiress? Why not asking Yanagi-San directly about that meeting?" the Elder asked then.

"As usual, you are really perceptive." The old man answer with a tight smile. "I am aware Uchiha Yanagi is currently unable to conceal her chakra signature. But she is also in possession of some information of importance. Observing the scene from afar will give her clues she wouldn't have while in the middle of it; she has quite a tendency of overthinking things."

My cheeks were burning with embarrassment. Overthinking things was a quality, wasn't it?

"You don't want to leak information. Again I ask you why using our Heiress? Wasn't there other possibilities?"

"There was, but the quarrel between them and the accident that happened a few hours ago is an opportunity we can't miss."

"And you're still saying this mission isn't dangerous?" Nana-San interjected.

"Yes, I gave you my word, didn't I?"

The Yamanaka elder looked at us, defying us to say we didn't believe in the Sandaime. A part of me wished I had answered the challenge. Yamanaka Nana bowed deeper. She had no choice but accept the orders of the Hokage. She was then ordered to leave the room along the elder. As they had finally cleared the room, the old woman turned to us.

"Despite all your guarantees, Hokage-Sama, may I inquire why you have let such a mentally unstable kunoïchi graduate?" the Elder then asked. "Don't take it wrong Uchiha Yanagi, but you're not fit for any battle. I shall look for your therapist and settle things with her."

"Therapist?" the Hokage said interrogatively.

Both the elder and I frowned at that. What was that questioning tone? He wasn't aware I was being treated for my traumatisms?

"Yes, about what happened four years ago." I said blankly.

"It makes sense. I wouldn't have thought you would follow a therapy, Yanagi-San. Most of the medical documents concerning you insist on your reluctance of receiving a treatment."

I blushed and looked away again. What was his deal with all these critics today?

"Hokage-Sama, I think the girl and I were under the impression of you ordering her therapy. I could read the reluctance you mentioned in all her mind. She's a tough one."

I slightly smiled, awkwardly acknowledging the compliment.

"Please look about that matter and report to me. This matter seems linked to the mission I am giving Yanagi-San."

"I shall keep my discretion Hokage-Sama. Uchiha girl, do remember to see me when you're finished with the Sandaime. We have a few things to discuss. Especially regarding the control, you have over your spiritual energy."

"None of us is supposed to inform Ino-San of all this, I suppose?" I asked then.

"The least she knows, the better it is. If you'd just inform your guests the body exchange can't occur before Inoichi's return, I would be grateful to you."

"Of course, Hokage-Sama. I'll ensure this youngster keep their tongues. I might even teach them how to." the old woman crooked.

"Thank you, Inomi."

She left the room. I straightened my spine, my back didn't creak. It still amazed me.

"I have been notified that you were entering the Chuunin Exam in Mist next December."

"Notified? But Gai-Sensei said…"

Notified meant the Hokage didn't take this decision? Who could take such a decision the Hokage couldn't oppose? Probably the same person who could have me go to a therapy and make it look like an official order.

Where had I just fallen? Now that I had just pushed most of my administrative work on civilians, I was now forced to enter the political field! Dear me!

"Just when I was complaining about being a pawn." I grumbled.

"Yes, Kakashi informed me of your little discussion of yesterday."

I pursed my lips. He did, right?

"Did you send Kakashi-San to test my loyalties to the village?" I asked. "It was you, right? So why was he ensuring this?"

The old man's eyes gleamed.

"I don't know, you tell me."

"Why should I know? I am one of the last of the Uchiha clan, I get it. Konoha wants to keep me working here, and I totally respect that. I wasn't to help the village grow as much as I want to rebuild my own clan."

"You have a nice spirit Yanagi-San. But these traits of yours are unfortunately not what people think you're worth for."

"I'm not that good of a ninja. I lack in chakra control; even that old lady knew it. Plus, I am a liability because of my mental condition. The only think I would be worth then, would be the fact that I can produce Uchiha babies, with a high lineage. Sorry, but I don't want to be viewed like that."

The Hokage waved a hand at me to calm me down.

"Calm down, Yanagi-San. If you're that worked up by what we've talked already, I can't tell what will happen later."

"What does that mean? You have answers too that might change my views on the Village?"

"I do indeed have some answers, but I'm not the one who should offer them to you."

"Afraid I might turn against you? Then, with all due respect, I'd say you're afraid I turn against our government. And the head of the Village isn't the village itself."

"You really are like your brothers before you. And like Itachi-Kun for that matter."

"I'm not sure I am a peace lover like Shisui-Nii or Itachi-Sama, you know? You said 'brothers' as in plural…?"

"You didn't know? Your father didn't tell you about his first born?"

"Father and I had a conflicted relationship. Given that he died before I entered the Academy, he didn't have the time to do so. As for my brother, he wasn't often home. As a matter of fact I am way closer to Sasuke-Chan."

"Well his name was Uchiha Obito. He was a student of the Yondaime. He died during the war, a pity. He wanted to become Hokage, you know?"

"How is that concerning me? I mean we were talking about a mission and now you're analysing my political views. I don't understand. What am I missing here?"

He sipped his tea for a while. Mine was getting too warm for my taste. I tried heating it up with my Katon affinity, forgetting I wasn't in the right body. The primary trick was to act in an precise area, whether you determined that area with your own chakra like the Goukakyuu or used an existent area like the Hôsenka wrapping around shurikens (even though you could sustain it without, like I had done facing that pervert). So heating a tea up wasn't that hard, I just had to stir it with my chakra, making it vibrate. I felt the ceramic trembling under my hand, but no real heat was produced.

"And why should I need another body as well? You want me to analyse the whole meeting without taking part in it. So you think I'll be contacted by someone, and that I'd have better chances at hiding while being in a body that isn't mine? Aren't you thinking too highly of me, Hokage-Sama?"

"I don't think so, since I had Kakashi training you for a while. All your teachers sent me reports about you, even Mizuki-Sensei. You learn better and faster in stressful situation. But having you in the direct meeting might alter the plans I have."

"So, there's someone you think can change my mind about the current government, who might try and contact me this precise week. You don't want me to overthink things, but only analyse from afar. So why couldn't just tell me that and I would have acted accordingly?"

"It's not that I don't trust your acting skills. Actually this was the scenario I had thought of in the beginning. No, I think that you already have answers, or guessed some answers, that might lead the person you will meet in a more dangerous move."

"We're talking about the person who scheduled me a therapy with a psychiatrist, and who deemed me strong enough to enter the Chuunin exam this winter, right? How can this person be considered dangerous because of these moves? I mean, having a Chuunin Uchiha is better for the village's interest, right? Theoretically, you'd have me work hard, even become a Jounin, until Sasuke-Chan becomes one and I become more useful as a baby maker."

He squinted his eyes. I didn't falter under his gaze.

"You've thought things through, haven't you? Indeed, this scenario is the best outcome we can have. Though your current team has been chosen so that you'd work well together, some people thought you'd work better with sensors."

"That's true that Neji-San and I work well in 'Track and Fight' mission type." I reckoned. "But I'm no sensor, and I'm not that good at fighting. I'm much of an all-rounder."

"Yes, Gai noticed that. You think before you act, and even though they are simple, your strategies have worked well. You haven't failed a mission yet."

"They were easy." I said.

"Maybe for you, and that's what leads me to think you might be better than all of us assume. That is the exact reason you're being sent to the Chuunin exam so early."

"But you didn't give these orders. Someone else did."

"I would have preferred you'd enter the Chuunin exam next June with your current team, even if I'm not sure your teammates have the necessary experience and maturity you possess."

"I do?"

"Not in the battlefield, but being a Chuunin means you're able to lead. You can discern what's best for your team, and where your interests lie. Quite like managing a clan, I might say."

"B… But… But I'm bad at this! And I have no time for it! That's why I'm hiring people to do it in my stead."

"Then ask your employees if you had done right before or not. As a matter of fact, with the grounds of your old compound, and the grounds of the Police Centre, I'd say your clan still owns about a third of the village…"

I was flabbergasted. I had never thought of this in that fashion. If I added the different possessions in all the fire Country… Holy shit!

"But we're losing the subject. This mission is for you to observe the meeting with that person. I will ask you to get any proof you can gather on that person. This will be a secret mission. Do you accept it?"

"Yes, Hokage-Sama!" I said.

"Good." He smiled. "I have been happy to discuss with you. I think it was a mistake not doing so earlier. You have lots of talents to nurture and polish, Yanagi-San."

It suddenly struck me. There was something I could ask of him regarding the pervert this morning.

"Hokage-Sama, I have an important question to ask you."

"What is it, my child?"

"There's a man named Jiraya who was a student of yours. I had the _displeasure_ to meet him this morning at the onsen."

The cheeks of the old man went pinker. I tried not to growl. Stupid old perverts.

"Jiraya-Kun was in the village… Don't worry, I'll have a discussion with him."

"And hum…" I went a bright shade of red. "He might have…. Hum… pictures? I'd like to have him dispose of these. If that could be arranged, I'd be very grateful to you."

The Sandaime's eyes grew bigger.

"Jiraya-Kun took embarrassing pictures of you at the onsen? What is he thinking?" he mumbled before he cleared his voice. "Anyway, do you have anything else you would like to ask of me?"

"Well you said you had answers to some questions I might have. You seemed reluctant to give them, and I am not foolish enough to try and get them from the Hokage. Which leads me to ask: who can give me those answers."

"It's an obvious question, isn't it? You're prepared to go and look for him, don't you?"

"Although asking my questions to Itachi-Sama would be ideal, I doubt this scenario would work. Both Kakashi-San and Gai-Sensei were treating this as a folly of mine. You'd just have to spread the word of my unstable mental state, and I'd be trapped in the village forever."

"You really are thinking about this, aren't you?" the Sandaime whispered.

"Yet, the person you think might change my mind about the village isn't my cousin. No, you're talking of someone who can send orders like you do. There aren't many people like that in the village."

How many people were in the Council already? I thought I had read about that somewhere, but I didn't remember. It didn't seem important at the time. But that would be very bad for Konoha if the members of the Council could order things instead of the Hokage. Then I frowned. Why me? What did it have to do with me? Both the orders were to ensure I would be a good kunoïchi, right? They were even helping me being promoted (though I doubted I had the skills to become a Chuunin so soon). So why would the Hokage consider this person as bad, except that they were abusing his orders.

"I fear that I can't place how dangerous that person is. Maybe I'll get a better idea when I meet them?" I suggested.

"Unfortunately Yanagi-San, that person is very persuasive. But I think you'll know why I had you stay away to observe and use Ino Yamanaka's body to do so. You had never been registered as a chakra sensor, nor do you know how to conceal your chakra. These two traits are easier for a Yamanaka clan member."

I frowned.

"You want me to discover something about this person's chakra?" I asked. "Why not asking an ANBU to do the spying job?"

He thinks I will be convinced this person is dangerous if I sense its chakra. Why so? He seemed really confident about this.

"ANBU shouldn't be used for these missions."

"So it's a secret mission that even ANBU can't do, and you're asking a Genin and an ignorant Academy Student to do it. Why using Ino-San through my body? She might hear things she doesn't need to."

"I want to be sure you don't run into trouble." he said.

So the most important thing is having me mostly out of the way. Power was about who had the information and what to give to whom. That means what Ino-San would hear wasn't that important. That mean that if I had been in my own body, what the man would have said to me wasn't relevant. Whatever he would have been saying, the Hokage seemed to think sensing its chakra was more important to me. As well as having me away from the scene. It didn't make sense.

What had I done to find myself into these political schemes?

"Run into trouble? What do you mean?"

"I have doubts concerning the person you're supposed to meet."

"Doubts you cannot prove, but I'm apparently the only one who can confirm or discard these doubts. But, you're not telling me any information on who this person is, or what I may hear."

"I need to keep you relatively objective. If I told you who it was precisely, I'd have no doubts I'll have you look any information regarding that person."

"I already know he or she was a Council member."

I didn't know for sure, but the slight twitch of one of his eyes confirmed my guess.

"That is exactly why I don't want you to get too nosy, Yanagi-San."

Then he joined his hands. Mine widened. This was a dispel sign! Had I been with a clone all this time? He smiled at me.

"Above everything else, I have to keep Sasuke-Kun safe." He said. "This promise keeps you out of the loop. You should be careful."

He was gone in a puff of smoke. I blinked, unsure of what I had just heard. He "had to" keep my little cousin safe? Who did he promise such a thing? And why was I out of the loop? I couldn't understand. Why protecting only one Uchiha out of two? Even though Sasuke-Chan was the son of the deceased clan Head, I was the only Uchiha girl left, so I should have been as precious as him. So why was I…

I had the reflex to scratch my scar. It wasn't there. It had never been there on that body. That body had never endured the suffering I had. No scar. I felt like something was missing from me. I had very good lungs as well. But that body… I hated it! I hated it all!

Still, I wouldn't be able to cry in this body either.

The door opened behind me and the Elder walked to me.

"I can unlock some parts of your mind that you can't access anymore, Uchiha girl." She said. "But I warn you it will hurt like nothing had hurt you before."

I looked at her. My gaze was cold. I doubted she knew the extend of the madness growing in the back of my head.

"What do you want in exchange of this?" I asked. "I have difficulties to believe someone who survived the war would show that much kindness."

"You're thinking it the wrong way, Uchiha girl. It's because I saw what the war could do to the mind of others that I want to offer this to you. You shouldn't be living in such a pain. What happened to your clan…"

"Please don't say anything more. And I'd ask you not to pity me. What happened to me clan cannot be undone."

"Yes, that is true. But you lived through it, and I think you could prevent this from happening to others. I sensed it in your head, the love you have for your family, for your friends, for the village. You're a little girl looking for peace, and I'm just an old idealist. But if I can help you walk the right path, then I think it is worth it."

Kakashi-San and the Hokage had both questioned my will. They had both wanted to know where my loyalties and priorities stood. I loved my clan, I loved my Village. My brother and my cousin had always dreamed of bringing peace to this place. I never understood what they meant. To me everything was doing fine. To me there was no tension. To me there was only the clan who wanted to see me grow into a wonderful kunoïchi.

But Brother was dead and Itachi-Sama was gone. There was just Sasuke-Chan left, and he was consumed by his idea of revenge. Ideas… I had my head full of ideas, so much I couldn't see straight. I had no idea where to start and where to go.

"I want to accomplish my brother's dream." I muttered. "But how could I? I'm just a girl who survived by chance. I'm nothing else."

"Then we'll start by making you remember how much you're worth." The old lady said placing her hands on my forehead. "This will hurt like a bitch, Uchiha girl."

I gritted my teeth as her chakra entered my system. And then everything was washed away.

By black.

And red.

* * *

 _Wow, this update was a pain in the ass, and so are the next ones!_

 _ **NightlyRowenTree** : Glad you liked the update? How about this one?_

 _ **Girl-luvs-manga** : Just like I told you in PM, this chapter should have explained about the other people who could undo the switch._

 _ **NightsBlackRose13** : Actually it really was Kakashi who went to see her in the hospital :)_

 _I hope you've enjoyed this chapter (even though it's mostly dialogues and no epic fights)_

 _See ya!_


	12. Memories

_I'll never catch up to you_  
 _Who sleeps so sound_  
 _My arms are useless_  
 _My heart beats too loud to go to sleep_  
 _My mind's too proud to bow out_  
 _While you were sleeping_  
 _The time changed_  
 _All your things were rearranged._

 _While You Were Sleeping_ _,_ Elvis Perkins

* * *

Chapter 12: Memories

 **I first met Itachi-Sama when Father died.**

 **I mean I had met him before, since Father and Fugaku-Sama were cousins. Father was Madara-Sama's grandson, and Fugaku-Sama was his great grandson. It that made Itachi-Sama and I third degree cousins. But the moment I really remember our heir was that day. I was five, and about to start the Academy in a few months.**

 **Father died in our house. He had been sick for a while. I think Brother knew that, because he wasn't around. I was alone, tending to Father. Suddenly he wasn't breathing, his eyes weren't following me. He just stopped. Something inside me stopped at that moment.**

 **Father didn't like me. Father often said things that hurt. Father thought it was my fault Mother died. Yet, I loved him. I loved how clumsily he would fix a yukata around me. I loved when he told me stories about old times. I loved how we stuck together, him being the old man and I the toddler.**

 **Suddenly Father wasn't there anymore. I found myself paralyzed. I didn't know what to think. Should I be sad, angry, afraid? I had no idea. I hadn't anticipated that. Father was a fixed point in my universe. He was simply there. I was happy he was there. I was sad he didn't like me. I was angry he punished me. I was impressed by his skills. I was showing him mine.**

 **I loved Father.**

 **I hated Father.**

 **Father. Was. Dead.**

 **I didn't know what to do.**

 **Suddenly Itachi-Sama was there behind me. I looked at him and didn't move. My eyes were dry, even though my lips might have been quivering.**

" **What should I do?" I asked the boy.**

 **I hated how still my voice was. Father was gone. I have given everything to Father, so Father had taken everything with him. Father was so selfish. Itachi-Sama said nothing. He just wrapped his arms around me. I didn't cry. I couldn't cry. Because Father was gone. Itachi-Sama never said anything. He didn't judge me, didn't want anything from me.**

 **He offered me his warmth. I took everything.**

 **I didn't feel it.**

I opened my eyes and sat up. I felt confused. I was dreaming of a house too big for Father and I. I remembered the creaking floorboard, the warmth of his old grey yukata, the lingering smell of tobacco…

"Yanagi-Nee, are you alright?" Sasuke-Chan asked.

His voice immediately called the image of a happy little boy to my mind. An old playmate I had seen through his brother. I remembered Itachi-Sama's warmth, the protective arms he had put around me.

Father was… Father was….

I shook my head. This happened almost nine years ago! I had to focus on the present time!

Drip. Drip. Damn! Was I still having troubles with my Mangekyô Sharingan? I looked at my hands. It was too clear to be blood. I felt like my head was spinning. I was crying. I was in grief.

I looked around me. I was in Ino-San's living room apparently, and someone had laid me down a couch. I didn't know how long I had been asleep. All my friends had apparently been involved in a game of Go fish. Lee-San's hand was still suspended in mid-air, gauging Ino-San's hand.

Ino-San? But… she had my face… Was I dreaming?

"You don't seem to have any fever…" Tenten said, landing a hand landed on my brow.

"She may have had a nightmare, Ino-San explained. "She just had an intense experience with my great-aunt, and I can tell you she digs things up."

"A dream?" Sasuke-Chan remarked.

We exchanged a glance. I knew what he was thinking about. I shook my head. No I hadn't thought of what had happened. I hadn't been impaled on a sword while sleeping. It was a nice change for a while. My cousin relaxed a bit, but he remained tense. Most of the people in the room were embarrassed by my reaction.

"Do you want a moment alone?" my friend asked.

I shook my head.

"Things will go. Eventually." I said.

"Are you trying to forget what you saw?" Ino-San remarked. "That's a very bad idea, you know."

I glared at her.

"Do you think I wish to talk about what I saw?" I spat.

"That's called sharing." She retorted on the same tone.

"I'm sorry but I think we've shared too much with each other already." I said with a steady voice. "Besides, these are way too personal."

The couch moved under me as Tenten sad by my side. She took my hands in hers. What was she doing?

"I understand that you're distraught, but don't worry Yana-chan. Everyone here is your friend; don't you agree?"

I scanned the room. I didn't have the same amount of trust with everyone in the room. I didn't know if I could tell anything to Ino-San or Sakura-San, after all we'd only been hanging out for half a day. I trusted my teammates, but I didn't want them to look down on me if I told them about Father. As for Sasuke-Chan, I wanted to be strong. I didn't want to be that spineless girl I had been before I started going to the Academy.

What I knew is that I couldn't tell them here. We were in the Yamanaka compound, and I had no idea who might be listening to us. If the person I was supposed to spy on was as dangerous as depicted by the Hokage, then I had no will to do such a thing.

I cleared my voice and steadied my mind.

"I can't do this now." I said. "I mean not in this place, nor in this body."

"Do you have anything against that body of mine?" Ino-San asked dryly.

"Well you're smaller and thinner than I am, so I don't exactly feel comfortable. And there's all these sensing abilities you possess. I suppose you find yourself cut off the world in my body."

She put a finger to her lips, seemingly thinking about what she felt.

"Actually… It's more like the sensation is weaker than in my body. As if you hadn't awakened it enough yet." She said. "I didn't know the Uchiha clan members were sensors though."

"We usually aren't." I said. "It's more that we can see chakra through our dôjutsu, but not precisely."

"Then I don't understand why people complain about your chakra control. If I can do a bit of sensing though your body, so can you."

"Let's say I am focusing on other areas than the purity of my chakra for now." I said.

"So that's why you don't do blue flames anymore…" Sasuke-Chan thought out loud.

I frowned, looking at him. He knew about those? I had only tried a few times, and only shown Brother. That day Shisui-Nii asked me if I was showing off, and I decided that being less of a prodigy would make him come back home.

"Blue flames?" Lee-San said. "That's so cool!"

"I don't really understand. Your Katon Jutsu have always been red. And what does it have to do with chakra control?" Neji-San asked.

"Er… How can I explain that…?" I pondered.

"Katon?" Sakura-San asked.

"Fire chakra nature." Sasuke-Chan explained. "It's a speciality of our clan."

"Chakra can have different nature?" she asked again.

"Ok, let's start with the basics." I said. "Chakra is formed by mixing physical energy and spiritual energy together. In everyone's body, these chakra flow through the meridians. You could say that chakra are tiny particles of energy. In order to perform a jutsu, you have to input a will inside your chakra and release the right amount, right?" I said.

"That's what we're taught in the Academy." Ino-San said.

"We were?" Lee-San remarked.

"I still can't believe you've graduated." Tenten sighed.

"They needed to balance the teams. With me as top student, they had to choose a commoner with no talent, that was for sure." Neji-San said.

"What did you just say!" Lee-San yelled right after.

"Good luck this week, you're gonna need it." I said to the girl who had switched with me.

"How are you coping with these guys every day!" she complained.

"Could you explain what happens with changing the chakra nature?" Sakura-San asked as she sat near me on the couch.

"I hope you're not about to hit each other." I remarked to my teammates.

"There's no need." Neji-San said. "The only one who could reach me in this room was you, and you're 'out of shape' for the moment."

"Very funny." I commented. "But you're acting more like a douche today. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing of your concern, Yanagi." He said with a slight smirk.

Neji-San's eyes quickly flickered to Sasuke-Chan. My cousin had been glaring at my teammate for a while, now. I gathered he didn't like Hyuuga. After all I hadn't been able to be nice to Neji-San until he became my teammate, and things were still awkward. But I had a feeling something happened between the two earlier this afternoon, probably when I was asleep.

I leaned toward Tenten with an interrogation in my eyes.

"Don't worry, it's a guy thing. No need to be protective of your cousin." She said.

Sasuke-Chan scowled at that.

"Whatever. What was I saying? Ah, yes. Changing the nature of your chakra is in short about changing the behaviour of the chakra particles."

"Changing the behaviour?" Saukra-San inquired.

"Yes. I don't exactly know for every chakra nature, but it's like imitating the particles in their natural state. Katon Jutsu are based on the heat you can generate with your chakra; it's a question of vibration. The more it vibrates, the more it creates heat. I suppose it's the chakra itself that changes its energy from chakra to heat. But I think there's also a great influence of the spiritual energy that can help give the shape, thanks to what our subconscious knows. I'm no expert, so I wouldn't know. Anyway these are the basics, and we still need to steady our techniques with hand signs."

"Vibrations?" Sakura-San noted. "Why does it makes heat and fire and not sound then?"

I blinked. I had never thought of this. Actually, what was sound? Because I had always done my Jutsu while blowing fire to direct the flames.

"I don't know. It's worth looking into it, though."

"And what does the colour of the flame indicates? You've spoken of the purity of chakra earlier on." She asked again.

"Uh… I think it's has to do with the waste of energy?"

"Like chakra control? When you know how much chakra is needed in which technique?"

"Not quite. It's more like I really know how to focus on these vibrations? I can't really tell. I just know my blue flames were hotter, and so more efficient. But It's been a while since I managed to make them."

"Is it hard, or is it too long to use in battle?" Tenten asked.

I looked away. I wasn't comfortable with that issue. Then I straightened my spine. I had to be Ino-San for a week. So the problems of Uchiha Yanagi would have to wait. Speaking of which, Sasuke-Chan and Neji-San had kept looking at each other with anger. I couldn't say for my teammate, but I knew my cousin. And when he was angry, he was such a pain. I had to do something.

I walked to them and patted my cousin's head. He jerked away from me, instinctively growling at me.

"Who do you think you are to…? Oh, sorry Nee-Chan." He said.

"We'll talk later." I said coldly. "For now I'd like you to behave."

Sasuke-Chan flinched slightly. He eyed Neji-San warily. I turned to the other boy whose smirk had grown larger.

"Please stop getting on my cousin's nerves. I don't know what's happening between you two, but please postpone that stupid masculine rivalry of yours." I said.

"It's not like you're in a position of stopping us, Yanagi." Neji-San remarked. "You're not used to the body you're in and you lack strength in it."

"Why are you always resorting to strength, and to who's the best? That has nothing to do here. Besides you are shaming yourselves in the Yamanaka compound. Given the situation I am in; I'd like you to stop this."

Behind me, Ino-San in my body was nodding. She was observing these two idiots competing with a look I didn't like in her eyes. She looked like she was excited or hungry. I really didn't like that. Plus, I felt like being at the end of a joke I couldn't grasp.

"Yes, Nee-Chan." Sasuke-Chan reluctantly admitted.

"Whatever." Neji-San said.

I slightly frowned. Was he trying to get on my nerves now? I stirred some of the chakra inside of my body. Oh, yes, given what the Yamanaka clan was specialized in, I could definitely try that. I crouched before Neji-San and stared at him. The Sharingan was a great help in casting Genjutsu, but I didn't need it. Itachi-San once told me it was wrong to use the same weapon over and over. Actually I hadn't taken his advice entirely, because my dôjutsu was such an advantage in all the ninja fields, but I had trained my Genjutsu without using it in the Academy. I might be a little rusty, but with Ino-San's sensing abilities, I could try and isolate Neji-San's chakra signature.

"What are you doing?" Neji-San asked with a soft voice.

"Showing you not to underestimate me." I answered and my voice was layered with chakra.

He gave me a puzzled look. It was more than enough time for me to enter his mind. I only needed a mild punishment. So I only induced fear inside of him. I knew he had a great composure, so he wouldn't have lost it in front of everyone. His eyes widened in shock. I felt him working at dismissing the illusion, but I held on. I had quite a bit of experience with my own body to know how to make it last a while in one's head without it breaking.

Finally, he bowed his head down, accepting his defeat.

"Remember, Hyuuga genius, that I never was a Taijutsu expert in the first place. You spoke of balance earlier this day, and such is the equilibrium our team reached with my techniques. I don't know what happened to you today, but I suggest you reflect on your behaviour."

"You're not my mother Uchiha." He spat back.

"I'd rather not be. And Sasuke-Chan, stop grinning behind my back. I will not have any of you shaming me more than I already am."

I felt a mild headache pounding in my head. Ino-San's chakra reserves were lower than mine. I definitely had to use her chakra more efficiently.

A heavy silence had fallen on the room after what I had told the boys. I would not allow them to put me into trouble. I wasn't in my body right now, and I wouldn't be for an entire week. In addition, I had a super-secret mission to accomplish for the Hokage, and I couldn't fail.

"Let's… play another game!" Tenten offered to relieve the atmosphere.

"Great! Let's do something youthful!" Lee-San yelled.

We played hide and sick for the entire afternoon. I admitted I hadn't had that kind of fun in a while. It allowed me to adapt to my new body and chakra system. I think I even got better at sensing chakra. That experience was really weird, like opening a door I had never had conscience of before.

That night I had my first 'real' sleepover. I had already slept at Tenten's house before, but it had always been the two of us, and she said I had another sleepover with Barajou Mai and her friends back at the Academy. No, it's a 'real' one because we're more than two people in the same room. That meant Ino-San, Sasuke-Chan and I at the beginning, but Sakura-San was there too. I think Ino-San's friend pressured her into this, but I still haven't meant that person. Then Tenten said she would stay with me after she left the Uchiha clan paperwork at her house. I think Neji-San and Lee-San might have wanted to stay, but I said no for the first, and the latter was a definite no.

So here we were, all girls and Sasuke-Chan in the same room, sleeping in futons. Since we were five, the biggest room was the living room. I could see the stars through the large windows. We suggested Sasuke-Chan slept in another room: he really seemed embarrassed by having girls in pyjamas around him.

In the depth of the night, in the fake intimacy the dim light gave, we started to talk about different stuff. Sakura-San told us how difficult it was at school since she didn't have many friends, except that Nara guy and Ino-San. I told her of my own difficulties after our clan died, and Sasuke-Chan silently agreed. Tenten told us about her life in a civilian background, and how hard it was to find people accepting her when she only wanted to be a kickass kunoïchi.

"So, Yanagi-Senpai. Tell us everything about that sexy Hyuuga." Ino-San suddenly said.

"Neji-San?" I asked.

"Yes, Neji-Senpai. Are you dating him?" she asked.

Sasuke-Chan coughed harshly near me, choking on his own saliva. For my part I was wondering why everyone was thinking there was anything between that guy and I. Was it the way he acted? I hadn't noticed anything weird. It couldn't be me. And if it was, I could only blame my hormones. Stupid puberty!

"Of course not!"

"For real? But he's such an eye candy!" she insisted.

Well I couldn't blame her. Neji-San was indeed handsome for a guy, I had to give him that. He wore long black hair; a fashion I had been used to in my own clan.

"You can have him." I replied. "I'd be glad to have you stop flirting with my cousin."

"Hn." Sasuke-Chan agreed.

"Yanagi has never been interested in Neji. That's for sure." Tenten commented.

"That's so bad! You'd have made a beautiful couple!" Ino-San crooned.

I snorted. Yeah, right! I get it, we were both from powerful clans, and about the same age. I wouldn't have been surprised to have my clan considering the boy as an adequate suitor. Except that our clan members rarely married with outsiders, and that our dôjutsu might not be compatible. Plus, I was of a high lienage and rather talented, it was sure I'd have been married inside the clan. Probably with Tekka-San, or another policeman with an active Sharingan.

"Don't you snort! I know you would." Ino-San insisted.

"Can we speak of something else?" Sasuke-Chan hissed.

"Is there something wrong?" Sakura-San worried.

"It's nothing. That guy just gets on my nerves." He muttered.

"And I'm quite sure Sasuke-Chan is getting jealous!" Tenten mocked. "How cute! He doesn't want you to date Yanagi!"

"Shut up!" he growled. "And don't 'Chan' me! It's not because you're Nee-Chan's friend that you can do that!"

"Look at him! He looks like an angry cat with his hair sticking like that." She laughed again.

I giggled. She was exactly right. He gave us an outraged look! Ino-San looked thoughtful.

"I still don't understand what you two have against Neji-Senpai."

"I'm not the type to fall in love with anyone else's look." I replied. "His temperament is horrible. Quite like Sasuke-Chan's at some times, so I can manage. But cocky males who pride themselves in being the best makes me want to puke. He's just so narrow-minded!"

"Of course, a guy who can't discuss the last book you've read wouldn't be interesting." Tenten sighed.

"That would be my guy!"

"I was being sarcastic, you bookish training freak!"

"Shut up weapon maniac."

She threw a pillow at me. I retaliated in kind. A fight ensued right after that. It was only after Yamanaka Nana came to rebuke us that we calmed down. In the end only Ino-San and I were punished. Apparently I was the one who had started the fight, and she was squishing Sasuke-Chan with her body when her mother entered. So here we were sitting in seiza in the corridor while the others were sleeping.

"You're sure you're not dating Neji-Senpai?" she whispered once we were alone.

"Why are you insisting on that?" I scowled.

"Because Neji-Senpai really seemed to care about you. Everyone thought there was something going on between you."

"Sorry to disappoint you. I have other things to focus than boys."

"Kami-Sama! What century do you think you are living in, Senpai? Every girl thinks of a boy; it has to be! Maybe you're in love with someone else."

"I'm going to disappoint you again, but I don't think I can actually fall in love with anyone."

"How so?"

How I found myself talking to her about Father, I can't explain. I had the lowest of that girl all day, yet I found myself talking to her about stuff I hadn't told anyone. Talking about things I had forgotten because they hurt me so much.

Father had taken everything from me. He only left an empty shell running after Brother. But it wasn't the same anymore. Sometimes I felt alive. Sometimes I really had feeling. But it was just a fleeting thing; it never lasted.

I was an empty shell of a crazy girl. Such a fine weapon for the village!

"But you'll never date? Ever?" Ino-San inquired.

"I probably will. I know my body and I know my hormones. I'll have to learn about these things one day, especially if I am sent on seduction mission."

"I'm talking about being loved, Senpai! Don't you want that?"

I remained silent for a while.

"It kinda freaks me out; being loved that is. It means sharing something with something else, and I have no idea what I can give in exchange of someone's feelings. Besides, there's not much importance. When I'll be of age, I'll probably marry who suits me the best. That is how I'll make my clan survive."

She seemed frozen into horror.

"Why are you making that face, Ino-San? Did you honestly thought Sasuke-Chan and I would have any choice in the person we'd marry later? There's no love in the country we live in."

"How can you say such things?" she muttered, a shocked expression on my face.

"I'm only stating what's true." I replied.

She gazed at me. In the dim light, my own eyes stared at me with intensity. It felt weird. Did I ever have such an expression on my face?

"Don't you have feelings for other people? Are you just able to copy the expressions I showed while walking around?" she almost hissed.

I blinked at her, not understanding what she meant. Of course I had feelings for other people.

"I don't understand where this conversation is going. I have feelings for my relatives of course, and surprisingly for you but that must be because you're wearing my face and I'm on your body."

"You really have no clue, don't you?" she said.

"About what?"

She suddenly took my hands in hers.

"You need help, and I am going to offer you mine."

"… okay?"

"Follow me." She said.

She stood up. I followed, cringing at the pain in my members. She violently opened the door of the room where everyone was asleep. Tenten immediately went to her feet, followed by Sasuke-Chan. Sakura-San stirred and groaned, still half-asleep.

"Everyone! We have an important mission to do! We're going to bring Yanagi-San's feelings back!" Ino-San exclaimed.

"Great! I think I like you, girl!" Tenten replied on an enthusiasm tone.

I blinked, then raised a hesitant hand.

"Er… I never asked for this, you know?" I said.

"I figured as much." Sasuke-Chan muttered. "But for once Ino is right."

"Oh, not you too!" I groaned.

"I told you that you had changed. You were a cheery person in the Academy." Tenten added.

"Now it's time to think of a plan!" Ino-San said loudly.

"No, now it's time to go back to bed and shut up!" Yamanaka Nana muttered behind us.

I saw my body jerk in fear. I didn't flinch. I had sensed her coming from behind me. Very useful those sensing abilities. I might miss them after we've regained our bodies. Reluctantly we laid down on our respective futon. After the women left the room, a heavy silence fell. I heard the people around us fall asleep. Or rather I could sense their chakra signature change from the awaken to asleep state. It was fascinating.

Then I watched the stars above. They were beautiful. I felt drawn to them…

 **I entered the Academy about six months after father's demise. I remembered the forty days of wake and the cremation after. The smell was lingering in the back of my head, filling me with unpleasant thoughts. It was winter, and the freshness of snow couldn't erase the smell of burnt flesh.**

 **Cherry trees had blossomed when I first entered the Academy. My stepmother had told me to be friendly with everyone. Especially with Itachi-Sama who went to school in the same time as I did. He was 7 or 8 at that time, and I was only 5. Two years and a half older than me, and he was already the best in his school. Even Brother hadn't achieved that, and he was a genius too.**

 **People wanted me to do great things as well.**

 **I didn't think I could. Be great or friendly, or whatever. I felt like walking around with that hole in my chest.**

 **Yet, even though I couldn't feel it properly, there always was Itachi-Sama's hand around mine. Brother didn't like that, and it hurt. It hurt, but at least I felt something. So I held onto this hand, because it brought the pain back, because it proved me Father didn't take everything with him.**

 **But after a year, Itachi-Sama didn't go back to school. He still got me there for a while, between his missions. We talked a bit, but I never remembered what he would say. I was starting to be used to this gape inside of me. Somehow it was easy to fill it with cold knowledge. I used to be a dancing flame, but I learned the ninja rules. Ice could feel a person, it helped me walk.**

 **There were only little things that kept the remains of my soul alight. Father was no more. Father died. But Father had loved Brother, and Brother used to love me. I knew there was things I could do to reach Brother. If Father had been my king, then Brother was my knight. So I kept him on his toes. Maybe if he was angry enough, he'd blew this dragon he had vanquished Itachi-Sama with.**

 **Brother liked Itachi-Sama. Brother didn't like Itachi-Sama. I couldn't tell what Brother thought of Itachi-Sama. Yet Itachi-Sama gave me his warmth, he protected me. So I thought I should always keep them together, so that one day, Brother would melt my iced heart and bring me back what Father had taken.**

 **And then Brother died.**

I woke up, covered in sweat. My breathing was fine, but I felt drops rolling down my skin. Everyone seemed asleep around me. Wait, that wasn't quite right. I sensed the people around me, fully aware in the light of dawn. How long did I sleep? Not much, I think. I looked at Sasuke-Chan on my right. His body was too stiff.

I nudged him on the side with my foot. He immediately opened his eyes. He frowned at me as I silently gestured towards the garden. I needed fresh air, and I wanted someone to speak with. Silently, we crawled outside the room and sat on the wooden patio. The cold breeze outside made me shiver. Hopefully my cousin had thought of taking his blanket.

We shared.

"It's been a while since we did that." I muttered.

"Yeah, well it's awkward given that you're in that idiotic blonde's body." He grouched.

I slightly smiled at that. I looked at the grass the wind was bending.

"Why didn't you tell me about the Chuunin exam?" he asked.

"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know where to start." I answered. "And then last time we had to talk, it was in the hospital and you kind of blew on me, you know?"

"… Sorry about that…"

"That's okay, I understand. You're concerned with me. Yet, even though you've rejected that idea, I'd have to find a stronger Sharingan to break the Genjutsu in my mind. I don't want to hurt you in the process, you know."

"I don't like the idea of sending you to _that man_ …" He growled.

"I know…"

"I just… I can't understand why you trust him so much. He murdered your brother. He murdered all the clan!"

"I know he did these things! Well I'm concerned actually. I don't think he did all of these. There was something wrong going on with the clan when we were little. I'm not saying he's innocent! I'm just saying there might be more to the story that we know."

I heard him grit his teeth. He didn't like the assumptions I was making.

"I mean… We know the guy was crazy strong, right? But strong enough to silently murder everyone? It doesn't make sense. Either that means he wasn't alone…"

Or he was a scapegoat. I didn't say that one to the boy. Actually I had a hard time to understand why an innocent man would traumatize his own brother. Same man I had believed when he told me he didn't murder my brother.

I moved closer to Sasuke-Chan, sharing his body heat. What would have happened if I really had died? What would have happened to him? How paranoid and scared and full of revenge would have he been? How could I help? What could I do?

"Why are you still believing him? No, that's not it. You're believing _in_ him." He realized.

I folded my arms and looked up. Translucent clouds were slowly colouring to pink and orange. Yes, I believed in Itachi-Sama. How could I not? He was the one to find me when Father died. He shared the same dream as Brother. He had tried to help me when I felt so down. And now I was taking care of his brother, like he had taken care of me.

"I don't really know. Maybe because he was there for me."

Sasuke-Chan scoffed.

"Oh don't be jealous! You know he was always there for you!"

"Look at what it gave me! He was only playing nice! You haven't seen him that night. You didn't hear what he told me!"

"No, sorry I was too busy being pinned to a tree by a katana!"

We were getting louder and louder.

"Don't you change the subject!"

"Oh yeah, that's right! Come on Sasuke-Chan, go and explain to me how much you think you've suffered! Whine and rant again, like it's useful!"

"Well if you're acting as if talking with serial killers is a normal thing to do!"

"Like it's better to want to kill everyone!"

"He has to die! For what he has done to us, he has to die! He killed our clan! Women, children, old ones and ninjas. He killed everyone! And you would want to find a reason for him!"

"Because he's the only fucking I can look up to!" I shrieked.

Ino-San's voice felt sore as I kept howling. I didn't care. Sasuke-Chan was gaping at me. I didn't care. People were looking at me from inside the house. I didn't care. Tears were filling me. I didn't care.

There was a gape in my chest. A gape a sword filled in a black and red night.

"Father is gone! Brother is gone! Everyone is gone! There's only you and I and him left"

Officially. I was still persuaded the one who almost killed me was an Uchiha. Still the clan records led me nowhere. All the dead had been cremated by the town and buried. I had seen the corpses, one by one under their white veil in the morgue. I had prayed in the middle of the urns for days. I had no idea who my attacker was.

But at that moment I wasn't thinking at all. I was standing and staring hardly at him. The blanket was buried under our feet. One false move and we would jump at each other's throats.

"Itachi-Sama has been there for me, like he has been there for you! So yes, I still trust him!"

"So you trust him over me! What about me!"

"You… you… you… Like everything is about you! You're always wanting me to do the right thing! I am the one who manages what is left of our clan! I'm the one who checks the money stuff! I'm the one who do all the fucking paperwork! I'm the one who must be better and better and better. All you do is eat, and sleep, and shit, and whine, like all the fucking time! So don't you dare telling me what to do!"

"I wouldn't if you weren't saying stupid things!"

"So you're saying I should take you as an example? Becoming a whining emo?"

"Oh shut up! Stop acting like your better than anyone else!"

"Well at least I train properly to attain my goals!"

"Then go train at your stupid goals and leave me alone!"

"Killing your brother isn't the solution!"

He roared and jumped at me. At the same time the door violently slid open. I had anticipated his move. It was obvious, and the boy was totally open. Even with those shorter and frailer limbs…

"Sasuke-Kun!" Ino-San called with my voice.

The surprise made us both froze, long enough for Sakura-San and Ino-San to try and seize him. Tenten grabbed my shoulder and I forced myself to relax. There was no point struggling with him. We were both believing we were in the right. But he put his pain before everything. I put our clan and Brother's dream first.

Why didn't he want to understand that?

Tenten jumped at Sasuke-Chan as he threw the two girls away. I saw the surprise in Ino-San when my body reacted better than she thought. I moved more slowly in her body, catching a flying Sakura-San. I couldn't quite reduce the shock in my muscles as I helped her land. Meanwhile my friend had skilfully grabbed my cousin.

"Hold still you damn brat!" she groaned.

"Don't bother. I'm the one at fault." I said sarcastically. "So you've won, Sasuke. I'll go and train to attain my stupid goals. Alone."

* * *

 _Sorry about last update :/  
_

 _I had a whole week of exams and no time to write. Plus I rewrote this chapter again and again because I didn't want to show too much through Yanagi's dreams._

 _Girl-luvs-manga : Of course it's Danzo she'll be spying on. But not yet :)_


	13. Observation

"There is no more difficult art to acquire than the art of observation, and for some men it is quite as difficult to record an observation in brief and plain language." William Osler

* * *

Chapter 13: Observation

It wasn't because I found myself in another body, that I would change my behaviour. So I changed into a sports outfit and prepared myself to run. But because I was now acting as Yamanaka Ino, I had to ask about their training grounds. This is how I met a few of her clan members who had been informed of our misadventure. Actually they were really nice to me, calming me down after I had been so angry with Sasuke.

As we started a slow jog, they started asking questions. I wasn't the sort of person to spill my life to anyone else. Except that these guys (Inomaru, Chieko and Asaki?) were either working in the T&I department or in the psychiatric department. They knew how to look at things. They knew what questions to ask. They were all Chuunin. Asaki (blonde shoulder-long hair in a ponytail and a goatee) and Chieko (blonde hair in a bun, rond glasses that made her blue eyes bigger) were in their mid-twenties, probably brother and sister (she was older than him). Inomaru looked in his thirties with his short hair and clean shave, but his grey eyes seemed older.

"Inokane-San is your therapist?" the only girl had inquired. "How weird, I thought she had stopped working in this field and became a reservist."

"Well I see her regularly. Like once a week or so, in the evenings."

A reservist? I knew for sure that some of the people called 'reservists' were in fact ANBU members. I wouldn't have known my therapist was one. She didn't look that strong. But appearances were often deceptive. All that mattered to me was that I had been told to see her. I was reluctant at first, but she had been relatively helpful (except that she couldn't make the dreams stop. I couldn't tell if I was more bothered by the Red and Black illusion or the memories from my past). In the end I had been used to see her, talk about stuff.

I should cancel our next appointment by the way, with Ino-San in my body.

"But really, I thought she had stop consulting. You're privileged, Uchiha-San." Asaki-San said.

Yes, someone had really chosen my therapist for me, since everyone seemed surprised by who she was. Now that I thought about it, there really was something fishy.

My lungs were starting to burn, but I kept running. My spirit may be weak; I was strong in effort. Plus, not having that pang in my left side felt great. The three Chuunin had to stop me in the end, because I wouldn't stop. After that we started some stretching. Ino-San's stamina wasn't as good as mine; my head was spinning a bit.

"Careful, Uchiha-San, don't train too hard. Our heir never trained her body as much as you do."

"Does she train her spirit, then?" I asked, amazed how this body didn't creak at all when I moved. "I did a very nice Genjutsu yesterday."

"What kind of Genjutsu? On your body? On a zone? On someone else?"

"On one of my teammates who thought he could underestimate me while I wasn't at my best. I induced fear inside of him."

"That's impressive." Inomaru-San remarked. "It's close to our clan techniques of invading other's minds, so things might have been easier. But I'd advise you do that carefully. You might traumatize someone by mistake."

"But it stops when I'm not faking their brain signals with my chakra or when they realize they are fake. I just want my illusions to look the most real. Then I can force my enemies to do mistakes."

"And you're using your Sharingan in that fashion in your matches?"

"I used to, but Gai-Sensei forces me to do without it. I might say I had to focus on my opponent's body language since I don't have my dôjutsu to make things easier."

"Your Sensei knows his stuff, being friends with Kakashi-San." Asaki-San said.

"Our department used to work with the Police force too. Don't hesitate asking us questions." Chieko-San said with a smile.

I slightly froze when she said that. Inomaru-San nudged her in the side, sensing my discomfort. I sighed and looked away. With everything Sasuke-Chan had said earlier, I couldn't help but think of all the deceased. For the first time in a while I thought my clan members; not like when they were under those white shrouds or piles of ash in little boxes, but as beings of flesh and blood. These Yamanaka had known them too, worked with them, talked to them, befriended them maybe.

They didn't ask if I missed them, or any silly question like that. They didn't need to. I had my eyes in the vague, smoothly doing my katas without thinking.

"I don't know… how to talk to him…" I heard myself say.

Asaki opened his mouth, but Inomaru clicked his tongue in annoyance. I heavily leaned against a tree in the training field. Someone gave me a bottle of water. The cold feeling in my throat it felt wonderful.

"I just don't know what to say anymore. I mean, I'm just full of doubts about what happened, about what will happen later…"

At that point I started to rant about Sasuke-Chan and how thick he was. However, I managed to keep my tongue about my real concerns, about what I thought about Itachi-Sama. Yet, somehow they seemed to think I was admiring the guy or something. I couldn't tell. I never spoke about Itachi-Sama to anyone, especially because I had only recently remembered how present he had been for me.

"I think he's angry I still have a high value of his brother." I summed up.

"Don't you think he's just jealous?" Chieko-San asked.

"Jealous?"

"You said he was angry at your Hyuuga teammate as well." She remarked.

I blinked, not sure about what she was speaking about. Didn't Tenten said Sasuke-Chan was looking like an angry cat when jealous?

"Jealous of what? I don't understand."

"Maybe he doesn't want to share your affection."

"Is that so? He didn't seem to bother yesterday evening when we were pillow fighting." I pouted. "And he wasn't complaining when we were playing hide and seek."

Well that might have been because I had coldly reprimanded him in the living room earlier when Neji-San and him were groaning at each other.

"Is that so? You seem to think otherwise." Inomaru remarked.

Tsk. I looked away. Damn those experts at interrogation and body language!

"He was just annoying because of Neji-San."

"Neji-San… The Hyuuga genius?" Chieko-San asked.

I looked at her interrogatively. She explained his mother worked at the Hospital. I raised my brows: I had always assumed both his parents were dead. Anyway everything was annoying about that boy. At the Academy he had been a real eyesore with all his 'fate' speeches. Now I'd like everyone to stop thinking we were an item. And he was even more annoying that he wasn't denying these silly thoughts!

"I don't know what happened while I had been asleep, but Neji-San and Sasuke-Chan were acting like pricks."

A silence fell. I felt the immediate need to fill it with my thoughts. I bit my lips before running my mouth again. These people were skilled. They were ninjas. I felt impressed. Even though the ambiance was good, even though I had this feeling of being secure. I was about sure they were doing a soothing thing, even without using chakra. A cold chill ran down my spine: the criminals going through their hands might have a hard time resisting them (and they were only the I part of the T&I).

They were waiting for me to fill the silences they left. They were made for me to think, but also spill the beans. No wonder a gossiping civilian like Nana-San married their clan Head.

"They were acting like pricks?" Asaki-San repeated.

I looked at him. I was learning some of their tricks. Was that intentional? They looked like they were genuinely helping me. There was always a catch. So what was it? Inomaru-San offered me a warm smile.

"You really are observant, Yanagi-San, aren't you?" he asked.

"I have to, don't I?"

"Well did you know your Sensei used to work for T&I?" he said and I gaped at him. "Yes, I guess it's hard to tell with Gai-San's personality. We heard that you'd be entering the Chuunin exam soon. Given who you are, and what might happen to you in the future, how about entering our department?"

Was he offering me a job? Like already thinking I'd be promoted next January. Thing were going too fast. I wasn't that good. I wasn't incredible. I was just a crazy girl who had exchanged her body with her clan Heir. I would normally have had nothing to do with them.

"Sorry." He laughed. "I might be too quick to business. But my offer is honest. Even if you end up in the Genin Corpse, I'd still like to have you in our department."

"I'm flattered but I don't really understand…"

His grey eyes twinkled.

"Uchiha-San, you have an excellent background, given the clan you are from. Plus, you are really adaptable, and you're a good reader of body language. You have real qualities of reflexion, and you were able to detect most of our techniques of interrogation."

By falling in them, yes. I looked away.

"One learns better by understanding their mistakes." he said slyly.

I resisted the urge to pout, and tried to look him in the eye. I failed. He smirked.

"Is that really fun, teasing me?" I asked.

"Do people tease you often?"

"I'm not a people person."

"What about your cousin and your teammate being pricks?" he added.

I felt the brother and sister smiling at each other. My eyes wandered on them, wary.

"Right, sorry." Chieko-San apologized. "We don't mean to make fun of you, you know."

"Damn, sis! You're let things go so easily with kids!" Asaki-San grumbled.

"I'll give you a piece of advice. Don't think too much about it, Uchiha-San. I don't want to direct your reflexion. When I said I think your cousin's jealous, I'm quite sure he only minded the guys."

I cocked my head to the side. Yesterday Sasuke-Chan had met my teammates for the first time. I didn't think he had much thoughts about Lee-San, especially because the green-clad boy was monopolizing Sakura-Chan's attention. But he had remarked Neji-San, and I assumed he did because of the other boy's attitude.

"Well yesterday he seemed angry at Neji-San, but I think it's because they are both very proud of their own abilities as a ninja. I mean Neji-San is always showing off, and Sasuke-Chan never trains enough..."

My voice trailed. Their clear eyes were analysing me. I felt like being a piece of meat. And I still had that thought with everyone assuming Neji-San and I were an item. Ah! Then maybe that was why Sasuke-Chan was angry, and why Tenten said he didn't want me to date. And now that I thought of it, he had been angry when I had invited Naruto-Kun at our apartment, quite like the time I had organised his birthday.

I remembered the promised I had made the night he discovered I wasn't dead. That night I had almost injured him, mistaking him for the man who tried to murder me. And then I promised him I wouldn't leave him. Never, ever leave him. Standing by him. Protecting him.

Yet I was the one who left out of anger.

I felt awful. But I couldn't let go. I knew there was something wrong with the Uchiha Massacre. And I didn't want to apologize to him only because I was more open-minded!

But I was done with the confidences for now. I had reached a point where I wouldn't say anything. So I changed the subject.

"Please teach me to use my current sensing abilities."

The Hokage wanted me to use that (and probably anything I could use to analyse my target's behaviour). So they taught me everything that could be taught in a day. I think one of them might have send a message to Yamanaka Nana so that she would reassure my friends about my whereabouts. I was sorry for Tenten, leaving her with Ino-San's ranting about girl's things, the shy Sakura-San and my brooding cousin.

My head was pounding with all the knowledge I had accumulated that day. Seriously, these Chuunin took a time for me in a day they should rest… Well, not really, since all ninja people were rather thrilled about training. I think it had to do a lot with how people were educated in a clan. We were war people after all.

I refused to talk to Sasuke, even when we found ourselves seated together at dinner. He had already blown on me in the hospital, and he had done the same for the same reasons. His opinion was rushed and totally based on emotions; such a thing a ninja shouldn't do. I was blatantly ignoring him, exchanging tips with Ino-San. I was starting to wonder about the girl: she played the silly girl in love, but I could see more and more of her manipulative traits.

I also had the occasion to meet with her friends Shikamaru Nara (probably the one who pushed her to be friends with Sakura-San, and certainly one of the smartest person I knew) and Akimichi Chôji (nice and plump, rather friendly, I had no real interaction with him). They helped me playing Ino-San's role, since she was well-known in the Village and I wouldn't know where I would be spying my own body. In short, the slouching kid advised me to play an "angry bitch who wishes to look nice", and the pudgy one says I had to criticize everything and everyone. Well they mostly said that before being hit by the girl. I think she was quite content she could pack a punch with my body.

"It's incredible the way your body moves! I have to be careful all the time, I can't control it."

"That's because I'm not making you wear my weights. They might still be at the hospital; I don't think I have picked them up." I explained.

"Training weights?" Sakura-San asked.

"How much do you carry every day?" Ino-San frowned.

"I have arm and leg weights, so I think I'm at something like 80 kilos?" I guessed. "I'm not sure since Sensei adjusted them throw-out my training."

The Academy students were gaping at me.

"What? It's a proper muscle development exercise, you know?"

"Isn't it a bit too extreme?" the Nara pointed.

"It's tiring at first. And whenever you're exercising too much but you get used to it. It's very good for quick muscle growth."

Ino-San was showing off in my body, appreciating the way the muscles played under her skin.

"Isn't that dangerous for your health? What about tearing your muscles?" Sakura-San worried.

"I'm not worried. Lee-San is wearing way more than I am and still moves around fester than I do. Actually the exercise forces your body to enhance the chakra flow in your muscles and bones."

I saw Sasuke opening his mouth several times during the conversation, but I didn't turn to him. I wouldn't answer to his futile pleas.

Then we went to bed again and it would be a long week playing Yamanaka Ino-San's role and spying on myself.

 **Tac. Tac. Tac. Tac.**

 **The metronome was regularly clicking. I was trying to follow the move of its arm. I had to stay in time. I had to remain graceful. I had to move around in these silly garment.**

 **I felt like a little girl in disguise under the eye of my stepmother.**

 **Tac. I tuned on my heels. Tac. I moved an arm forward. Tac. I moved the other arm.**

 **It felt not like dance. I felt the moves of a warrior in these. I wanted to complete them with efficiency. Beauty had nothing to do with battle. Why being graceful when it slows you down and endangers you. I couldn't help glaring at the woman teaching me the fan dance.**

 **Tac. Tac. Tac. I was losing focus. I kept my time, but my form was sloppy.**

 **"No! No! No! Yanagi-San you're supposed to be as agile as a cat, not stumping around like a bear!" she shrieked.**

 **"Hn." I said.**

 **There was no point arguing with that woman. She just wanted to make the perfect bride out of me. I didn't want that. I didn't want to stop being a ninja. Father had taught me how to be one. And even though Brother didn't want me to be too talented, I wanted to be good enough for him. Maybe one day I'd be allowed to follow him in a mission.**

 **But no, my adoptive family only used me as a political means. They would marry me off, maybe to their own son Tekka (so I'd marry my own adoptive brother, sick but not unheard).**

 **I didn't want to marry. Peace warriors like Shisui-Nii or Itachi-Sama certainly didn't care about marriage.**

 **And boys were icky!**

 **"Stop dreaming!" the woman snapped.**

 **I started dancing again.**

I woke as early as I was used to, dressing with Ino-San's clothes. Fortunately, being born in a ninja clan and even though her mother was a civilian, she did possessed clothes that suited my need. I put on stretch camouflage pants matching a camouflage headband (she didn't ant me to cut her hair, and they were definitely too pale and too long for my taste). A plain green top reinforced with a meshed shirt did the rest. My team would most likely train in green areas, so I would try to make myself as discreet as I could.

I left a bunshin in my stead (I wished I could do a corporal one instead of an illusion) and went to wake my own body up.

"Hey girl." I whispered, shaking her awake

"What time is is?" she whispered, still half-asleep.

"About 6 in the morning. I let you sleep longer than I would, but it's time for 'your' morning training."

"Senpai you're too intense…" she grumbled.

She did as she was told, though. Actually I think she was still amazed by what my body could do. I told her not to overexert herself (my teammates and Sensei would do enough today), and I started following her as she jog outside to reach the compound.

I could tell she wasn't me by looking at her: our body language was very different. I had troubles imitating her walk while stalking her. I finally gave the act up: my clone would do the trick in the academy. As I was following from afar, I realized how easy it was to follow our mixed chakra signature. It matched the one I was concealing inside of me, and my body had better chakra reserves than hers (because I trained my ninjutsu a lot or because of the weights I was carrying? I couldn't tell).

She wasn't running as efficiently as I was. I remembered that I had learned a lot observing the way Gai-Sensei moved. I had saved a lot of energy doing so, even though my moves weren't as efficient as his. We were approaching my old compound. I stayed behind as she went inside the foest path I was always running in. She stopped near the ruins.

"Is that…?" she asked in a whisper.

"Yes." I muttered.

She jumped a bit, my body immediately taking a defensive stance.

"Wow! I didn't know you were that close. I could feel you around, but you're way too close!"

"I told you my sensing abilities were crap. I think this ability is mostly yours, I just happen to be a favourable terrain to exploit them."

"Oh, I see. Maybe you'll be more capable in that field after we've exchanged our bodies again."

"Maybe." I shrugged.

"I wonder what I'll gain from you."

"Who knows?"

"Boobs?" she offered with a hopeful tone.

"You wish!" I chuckled. "Run to the cemetery now, and offer your respects to my family."

"You're doing that every morning? Wow, your Oedipus complex is even deeper than I thought."

"Shut up." I replied.

I let her run alone for a bit. I felt like we were being observed. Who would be so interested in two girls in training? Was it about the Hokage's mission? No, it couldn't be. They would have contacted my body at another time. Plus, I felt like I recognized this chakra signature somehow, but I couldn't tell precisely.

I looked around. There was a crow on a branch. He was hopping a little, observing my body and totally ignoring me. That bird felt weird. I mean, every animal had energy, but this one felt almost like a human being. An invocation? It was highly possible, Crows were a minor invocation of our clan, but most of our people preferred the Falcons. I would have taken the Cats for my part, if I had known where the scroll laid.

I didn't know who had signed the Crows Contract. It made very little sense for an invocation to be near our clan without having been called beforehand. So either someone had called them (and since Sasuke and I didn't sign any contract yet, it was most likely Itachi-Sama), or there was another reason for this bird to be here, or I was totally mistaken and that crow had a weird chakra signature for another reason.

I wanted to call to it, but I didn't dare. I wasn't Uchiha Yanagi for the time being, or at least not completely.

I focused more on the bird, and he seemed to feel my intrusion because he looked straight at me. One of his eyes was of a deep black colour. The other was a Sharingan. I froze. I unconsciously looked at the path Ino-San was running on with my body. I still saw a little silhouette far away. The crow croaked at me, it sounded threatening.

I ran after my body. If someone had implanted a Sharingan inside an invocation, then she might be in danger. I ran as fast as I could, noticing that the bird was chasing me. Ino-San's body wasn't fast enough for this. I had to focus. I couldn't panic.

The bird flew faster than I ran. He was circling above my head, croaking and croaking Like he was telling someone about my presence here. I focused on his trail. Too bad it was an invocation. I should be able to drive him away with a few shuriken. I didn't want to hurt the bird. I wished I had listened to Tenten more about how to hit moving targets: I sucked at this.

The bird looked straight into my eyes, evading all my projectiles. I was started to be annoyed. I was getting closer to the cemetary. I saw myself passing Kakashi-San. I had to find an idea quick.

"SENPAI!" I called to the top of Ino-San's lungs. "WAIT FOR ME! YOU PROMISED TO TELL ME EVERYTHING ABOUT SASUKE-KUN!"

She instantly froze. There was a dumb look on her face. She hadn't anticipated me to yell like a mad woman. In the same time Kakashi-San disappeared from before the KIA stone, and my body started cursing me for frightening her so much, and making her disrespect the spirits of the dead.

I practically didn't feel the Jounin moving towards me. One minute I was observing the flight of a crow, the other I was being thrown on a muscular shoulder. The man smelled of fresh sweat and generic soap. My face was pressed on his green jacket. I landed near the stone. The bird was gone.

"What the heck do you think you're doing!" Ino-San yelled.

I stopped her with a gesture of the hand. Where was the bird? Where was Kakashi-San? Hopefully he would take care of it. Or I supposed.

"For short, there's an invocation of the Uchiha clan flying around with a transplanted Kekkei Genkai. Didn't know if it was aiming you or me? No idea why it did so. Now just act like nothing happed."

I used a Kawairimi no Jutsu several times to get away from here. I crouched on the high grass, concealing everything of my presence. My chakra was no more. My breathing was measured, hidden by gusts of wind. I observed my body huffing in exasperation and stomping before clean tombstones. She seemed upset by the number of it.

I didn't jump when Kakashi-San appeared out of nowhere, casually leaning on the ground near me. One of my hands had a Kunai and I was ready to jump. I wasn't fast enough. Had he been an enemy I would be dead. And I couldn't only accuse the bad reflexes of the body I was in.

He threw an appreciative stare at my clothes and position.

"You've lost some weight, Yanagi-San." He said.

"Shut up." I replied, not letting my body out of my sight.

"I thought women liked being told those things."

"Well it's irrelevant here. The crow?"

"Flew away."

"Know anything about his Sharingan? Or his invocator?"

"The only people who have worked with crows are Uchiha Itachi and Yamashiro Aoba, a Tokubetsu Jounin of Konoha."

"Could you ask some questions to that guy? I don't think I'm really in a position to do this interrogation right now."

I gestured at my body.

"Coming from the daughter of the T&I department, that's rich." He commented.

"You know what I mean." I scowled. "How did you know I wasn't her."

"Apart from the scene that just happened? Probably because I'm used working around Uchiha girls."

I focused on him. He too had a transplanted Sharingan from this Uchiha Obito. The signature was close to the one I had found on the crow, but not that much. Close enough to be related by blood? I couldn't really tell; I wasn't proficient in this field.

"Say, who did your transplant?" I asked.

He flinched slightly. I only saw the micro expression flickering on his face (surprise, anger, regret) before he put his goofy mask on again.

"Does it matter?" he asked, and his eyes slightly flickered on the KIA stone.

"Dead end, then." I muttered.

"You're not funny."

"Didn't meant to. So you'll interrogate that Yamashiro Aoba guy for me?"

"Consider it done."

We stood up as Ino-San ran towards the city again. I pictured Neji-San coming to her. She would be safe. I couldn't tell if _he_ would be safe from her, though.

"You're loud." Kakashi-San said. "Muffle your sounds with chakra."

"How do you do it."

"Copy. And guess."

He was gone. Thanks Kakashi-San, you're being very helpful.

That was as I was running inside of the town that I heard the distinct sound of a camera. The Sannin Jiraya was stalking my body. I thought I was dreaming. But that was right when a crow plought into my face and properly knocked me out.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading!  
_

 _ **Lumiax** : Thanks for that review! :)_

 _ **Girl-luvs-manga** : I hope we'll get to chat more and more :) You're a very interesting person._

 _Don't hesitate asking questions by review or MP, I'll answer you :)_

 _See ya!_


	14. The girl who wasn't

Come down and tell me that it's better  
You're the one who's choosin' it  
You're the one who's loosin' it  
You're the one who's got no soul  
You're the one whose heart's grown cold.  
 _Heart's grown cold_ , Nazareth

Chapter 14: The girl who wasn't

 **Fugaku-Sama have been asked for a while about who would adopt me. He still had to give an answer.**

 **Father had been sick for a while, so I presumed it was only natural. Brother had mostly been away from home; I think he didn't want to see Father go. Even though we've spent lots of time together because of the wake, I felt like he was running away from me. He always did.**

 **Mother was dead because of me. Father was dead before me. Only Brother was left, but he didn't want to see me. I couldn't tell why.**

 **I am Uchiha Yanagi, the willow. The weeping tree drinking the water, trying to reach the reflection of the moon with its branch-like fingers. Brother resented me for Mother's death, just like Father did. Father died while taking care of me. Maybe I was to be Brother's death.**

 **I didn't know what to do to keep Brother near me. I wanted him to close the gaping wound in my chest, but I could only chase his shadow. Brother didn't care about me. Brother had a dream. I thought that maybe if I embraced that dream, I could stay beside him.**

 **Itachi-Sama shared Brother's dream, and Itachi-Sama shared his warmth with me. If this was the way to keep Brother and feel again, then I'll get closer to Itachi-Sama. But I would never be able to reach him either, for he was the Heir and I was just a minor cousin he pitied. But Itachi-Sama had a little brother. A foolish little brother I might say.**

 **I'll start by Sasuke-Chan. Step by step Brother would be mine.**

 **I shall be complete again.**

I felt slightly nauseous. I was sitting on a dusty floor apparently. My hands were tied in front of me, back against back to prevent me from making any sign.

I had been knocked out by a crow. I, have been knocked out, by a _fucking_ crow!

Right. I'll admit crows are impressive birds with a wide wingspan. Plus, that one had a Sharingan. So yes, an impressive invocation. But it was anticlimatic! Me, the last Uchiha girl, knocked out by a bird in her face! I felt ashamed.

I didn't move, sensing someone nearby. I tried to sense my surroundings with that weird chakra thingy I had with Ino-San's body. I felt the crow again and was submerged with that feeling of déjà vu. I knew the chakra that rolled through his Sharingan. It was someone I had known well. Someone from my step family maybe? I felt somewhat sick. Someone had taken the eye of a corpse to put it on a crow.

Which means it could have been any body, and that it might not be the only desecrated corpse. I felt angry in behalf of my fallen clansmen. I had seen their bodies, I stood near their remains and ashes for days! How dare someone did such a thing.

Anger was rolling inside my body. I forced myself to relax. Given my current position I had to remain calm. Whether the invocator of this crow was Itachi-Sama or that Yamashiro Aoba, I couldn't forgive him. But my reply should at least wait my return inside my own body.

"You're up girl." A masculine voice said.

I couldn't control the flinch in my body. He was near me and I hadn't felt him! Well I guessed there was no point playing, then. I nodded in answer and opened my eyes. In front of me stood Jiraya the Sannin, the crow on his shoulder. The man was impressive. Already tall, he was towering me with his Getas. I felt the intimidating waves of chakra crashing on me. I winced. Drops of sweat covered my brow and my back.

"Tell me, why would the Heir of the Yamanaka clan stalk the last Uchiha girl?"

He was frightening me. It as telling me he could detroy me on a simple whim. This wasn't about me being outraged by his behaviour. In the end I was just a little, pitiful girl. Panic was threatening to overwhelm me. In a flash I remembered details I had never thought of the day I almost died. I remembered the grip of Tekka-San around me as he threw me away. I remembered the katana lahsing through his throat and thrusting through my body in the same fluid move.

"Do I have to tell you?" I answered bravely.

My heart was in my mouth. I didn't know where all this courage came from, what had triggered that answer. I crisped my muscles to stop myself from trembling. I was about to die. I was about to die. I didn't want to die. I was not ready! It couldn't happen.

"I can make you talk."

He was so cold and serious, deadly serious even. Haha. So my death wouldn't be fast. It would be slow and painful, until I told him everything. No, that wasn't possible. Here I couldn't think as Uchiha Yanagi, the foolish girl who survived by sheer luck. No right now I wasn't that girl. I had to take whatever that was in me. I don't know what helped me sit still, what helped me mask most of my turmoil.

Right now I was Yamanaka Ino.

"Abducting and interrogating the heir of the Yamanaka clan might not be a smart move. Even though it's slightly ironic."

He chuckled. The pressure lessened, and I found myself breathing easier. I felt a ghost pain in my left lung. In this body I was intact, I wasn't crippled. I flared my chakra up to show my discontentment. It felt good. Right. I could resist him. I had to find a plan to go back to Konoha. In the meantime, I started making Katon around my wrists. It wasn't easy with Ino-San's body, but I was confident in my own control. I glared at the man.

"What do you want from me?" I managed.

"You were following Uchiha Yanagi. So am I. I want to know the reason."

"I can't tell you."

I had found nothing consistent about that man in the library. I knew he was a soldier of Konoha. I know he fought during the Second war, but he didn't have any major role in the Third. Where had he been during that time? He had been teammate with Tsunade-Sama (who fled the village her own grandfather had built from nothing, a despicable Senju) and Orochimaru-Sama (a horrible criminal who had abducted many children and civilians to experiment on, right inside our own village). Given the people he had worked with, I had difficulties to believe in him.

Where did his loyalties laid? There was no way I could tell him about my secret mission, had Jiraya-Sama been the student of the very man who ordered me to remain in Ino-San's body.

"You can't? So I was right, it's not the silly reason you've yelled at the top of your lungs earlier on. There's something way more serious playing here."

He was cunning. I could see the wheels turning in his brain. Maybe I should interrupt the way he was thinking. The only problem was that my social abilities weren't the best. I was bad at lying, plus I needed something believable.

"If you want to know so badly, you could have asked me directly instead of abducting me." I suggested.

Right. It might give me some time.

I looked around me. I was seating on the floor of what seemed to be a wide storage room. I had no indication of the time that had passed since I was rendered unconscious (I glared at the crow).

"You're the heir of the Yamanaka clan, hence why I'll treat you with respect."

I deadpanned, wiggling my fingers. My hands were still bound. Looked like a good treatment to me. I hadn't anticipated doing the basics of chakra changes into Katon in another's person body was so hard. I had to isolate the chakra particles and make them vibrate at the right speed. It felt so alien for something I had been used to do for years.

I looked at the Sannin. He was watching me, his brown eyes wary. He gestured at my hands.

"I can't have you do your mind tricks on me, Yamanaka-San. Besides I doubt you'll have much memories of this encounter."

I frowned. I hadn't gathered much information on the Sannin, but he hadn't seemed like an interrogator to me. Well any ninja had a few abilities in that field, but he wasn't a specialist. The most obvious proof of that was the fact he deliberately told me I would have my memory wiped or something similar. Had I been him, I wouldn't have tried novice techniques of interrogation on a member of the Yamanaka clan, even if they were still an Academy student.

"You aren't an expert in interrogation." I said, more thinking out loud than really talking to him.

"No I'm not. In the meantime, I'm not the one who's the most interested in Uchiha Yanagi. I am just doing a favour for someone."

He titled his head towards the crow. I gulped hard. So the invocator really was against me. Not against Sasuke. Jiraya-Sama seemed willing to talk. Maybe I could have him say more.

"The invocator of that bird, right?" I said.

"The Sharingan kind of gives him away, right? His owner will come for him."

It didn't give me much information. That owner who was either Itachi-Sama or Yamashiro Aoba. It was more likely the latter, because I supposed we hadn't gone far from Konoha in a few hours. So the invocator was more likely Yamashiro-San. Still the Sharingan seemed to indicate more Itachi-Sama. In either case it was a recent transplant, because I still thought of this person as someone I knew. I focused on the bird. Who was he? Who had owned this eye?

A shadow came through a nearby window. I just had the time to see the dusk outside and the forest before it was slammed shut. Well, between the newcomer and the Sannin I had no chance to escape. Plus, my legs wouldn't carry me. I wasn't feeling well enough with all this pressure around.

So most of the day had passed (might be why I was hungry/exhausted), but I might be near Konoha. The silhouette was thin and tall, wearing a long black coat with red clouds. I saw long black silky hair from under a straw hat. A bell jingled when he took it off with a manicured hand. He even had painted nails (even the toes).

I discovered a thin face, older than the one I remembered from my childhood. If he had been a small child when little, he was now almost as tall as the old man near him. His eyes, hemmed by long black eyelashes, were of that deep anthracite I remembered. I saw emotions twirling in it, concealed to all but bothering him deep. Thin strands of hair danced on his face, and he put them back behind an ear. His face was white and blank as ever.

I remember kinder eyes, warm eyes on me. I remember warmth and strength.

He dipped his head.

"Jiraya-Sama." He said with a smooth voice. "You've abducted a child."

Impossible. He couldn't be here! There were protection barriers around Konoha. Plus, there was no reasons for him to be physically here. Why would he care about Uchiha Yanagi after three years? Why me and not Sasuke? What had changed? What made the difference?

Why would this happen right at the moment the Hokage wanted to be sure of my loyalty?

"I suppose you are Yamanaka Ino." Itachi-Sama said.

I nodded, unable to talk. I didn't know what to do. I was usually lost in terms of feelings, but my mind was literally blank. No plans, no backup, no nothing!

"I do not understand why you brought an Academy Student near me."

"This girl here, penetrated your girl's brain. You might want to check what she saw."

"How much will her disappearance be noted? What is our time window?"

"Probably a few hours. I had to remake the Bunshin she did and make it more solid. It should last enough for you to have the answers you're looking for."

Itachi-Sama sighed before he turned to me. His face expressed nothing, but I guessed he wished he had much time. His eyes bled red, forming a Sharingan. He'd do it a hard way. I sensed the Genjutsu coming at me. The parts of my brain that had been solicited so long by the everlasting illusion started to tingle. I immediately reacted to push him away. He didn't even show appreciation. Itachi-Sama had always been a professional.

But Genjutsu was _my_ specialty. His used to be shuriken throws. I resisted. But Ino-San's body… Her body and her chakra coils had never been stressed the way mine were. I was already gifted when I was a child (and I got to be the guinea pig of both my brother and cousin), but I have also been regularly stressed to resist it. I might not be very imaginative, but my resistance was strong.

I don't know how long I dared looking straight at a Sharingan. He might have thought I was an ignorant girl to look directly at his dôjutsu. But even though I hadn't had my eyes for now, I still was a Sharingan user, and a good one. My mind may be shattered and weakened, I had had years of bad dreams to get at the level I was at.

I would lose. There was no way I could win. But I wouldn't bow down. Not to an Heir who killed the entire clan when he claimed he acted for peace. Not to the one who had severed the link between Brother and I! I believed him! I believed him! I believed when he said he hadn't killed brother! I believed him because he still poured warmth inside my frozen gap. I still couldn't find it, but it was there.

I increased the chakra flow in my mind, violently pushing him out.

"Konoha has many promising talents." Jiraya-San commented.

I reckon he hadn't done much, just a light brush to take over my mind. But come on! I was supposedly an academy student who had just won against an S-Rank criminal! I deserved some credit! More than a simple 'promising talent'.

Or they just didn't care about Yamanaka Ino. They only wanted to reach Uchiha Yanagi. Who was right in front of them. What a headache!

"I made the mistake of underestimating you. I am really sorry Yamanaka-San, for you're forcing me to hurt you. Yet I never thought an Academy student would be able to resist a mild Genjutsu attack from me."

Finally, I think I preferred the previous option. Given the lack of time, and the seemingly important research he was leading, Itachi-Sama would stop being reluctant about hurting the Yamanaka heir. I was talking to the guy who traumatized his own brother with Genjutsu. To him, the quick and dirty way worked well.

Again I felt him against my defences. Somehow I doubted I could talk him out of it, but I'd try anyways.

"And you couldn't just ask?" I panted. "Our minds were merely exchanged thanks to the Shintenshin no Jutsu. I don't know what information I could have for you."

"It is… surprising. You don't know your Kekkei Genkai, yet you're able to resist mine." Itachi-Sama remarked. "Please cease to resist. I'll try to make this as painless as I can. You won't remember our encounter happened."

"People know when they have missing memories. With the window frame you have, you won't be able to hide anything or to make my brain create a cover story for the lost pieces. And you won't be able to do so, because Sharingan isn't specialized in mind jutsu. Abducting me was clearly a mistake, Jiraya-Sama. First, your surest way to make me talk is torture, and I have enough importance for it to matter. Second, you don't have enough time for such an operation."

The silence coming from Itachi-Sama was eloquent. Or at least it was eloquent to me. I had always found him expressive, maybe because I had always lacked empathy, hence needing an external analyse.

"I couldn't let this chance go! You're the one who was very insistent about this Uchiha Yanagi. You never ask about anything, so I thought it was important. Who's the girl? Your fiancée?" Jiraya-Sama grumbled.

The teenager didn't answer. My cheeks had gone red at the reference. He looked at me, curious. Me, being Itachi-Sama's fiancée? What a silly idea! Yet, knowing I had such an importance to him was affecting me more than I thought it would. It was a huge change for me. I couldn't say if it was welcome or not.

I remembered the maelstrom I had felt after the elder Yamanaka had touched my mind.

"What does she have to do with anything? What's so important about her?" the man continued. "Her only interest is that she's entering the next Chuunin exam. Yet she only graduated last April and was tricked by an academy student. She makes no sense."

"When you say Academy student, do you mean me? You're aware I'm currently resisting Itachi-Sama?"

He considered the thought, staring at Itachi-Sama. I felt the continuous push of his chakra against mine. One of us would run out of chakra soon, probably me. I was starting to feel dizzy.

"Wait. The next Chuunin exam is in Kiri, right? If your girl has no skill she could only have entered through political means. Oh! Now I get why you were so worried! You were tricked!" the Sannin exclaimed.

The push stopped just as Itachi-Sama looked at the old man with annoyance. My body fell forward as I couldn't stand. Great! I'd appreciate if that break lasted forever! I felt the chakra block the Hyuuga doctors had put in place budging in my spirit. Great! I needed that now! Apparently Kami-Sama thought resisting mental attacks from my genius and serial killer of a cousin was too easy.

"I'd appreciate if you'd stop giving indication to our guest. She might not understand herself, but she's bound to have her mind searched by the best specialists of Konoha."

"What crucial information could I have?" I asked. "Like how one of the best agents of Konoha meets with an S-Rank criminal?"

"So you'll understand that no one should have access to this information."

"I'd be unable to talk if you erase the memories." I said. "That was your plan."

"It wouldn't be cost-efficient, like you mentioned earlier." Jiraya-Sama said.

So they would need to shut me up with a fast method, like I had anticipated. Well in that situation, they could just also me. Oh no… Colour drained from my face. They would definitely kill me. A corpse was way easier to hide than memories. Think! Think! Think!

"You seem more willing to talk. We know you have information about Uchiha Yanagi. You may be gifted in Genjutsu, but you're a bad liar." Jiraya-San said. "The faster you give us the information, the less he has to work on your brain."

"But I'm from a powerful clan." I remarked. "And you need the information I have. You wouldn't hurt me."

My hand was strangely calm, as if the perspective of death had torn apart my simulacra of Ino-San. I didn't have to play anymore. I wanted to live.

"Need, no. But it would be useful." Jiraya-San said. "Like I said earlier, I'll treat you with respect. Your clan buries their dead, right?"

I winced, having a vivid image of corpses in the morgue superposed with lined boxes full of ashes. At the same moment Itachi-Sama pushed and shared my vision. He retreated at the same moment I threw him out. I felt like I had just been violated. Granted I had lost our encounter, but aiming for the moment of distress! Right! The ninja world wasn't fair, but my head was a place of privacy. Yet everyone I meet wants to get inside of it!

"Get out." I growled.

"Who are you?" he asked at the same moment.

"What happened." Jiraya-Sama asked again.

Full of anger, I straightened my spine. I don't want people to help me or look inside my head The only think I'd like with my brain is to let me sleep properly and stop me from going crazy.

"The Yamanaka clan has never had so much dead people. This memory isn't yours." He muttered to himself. "It's definitely Yanagi-San's!"

His eyes met mine, and his attack was strong this time. I immediately blocked the attack by reflex. No one was to invade my mind! Not after everything that happened in the meantime. Blood spurted from my nose, dripping on my hands.

"Tell me what you want from her, and I'll let you in." I said. "There are things she doesn't want anyone to know."

"I thought you didn't like her." Jiraya-San said. "What does it matter to you?"

I gave him a disgusted smirk. I couldn't tell what the real Ino-San would have said in this situation. But I knew what my answer was. Sasuke was jealous. Sasuke wanted me to care about him. But I didn't. I had only had eyes for Itachi-Sama, for Brother, for Father. But in the end I only cared about my own feelings. That was the repulsive person I was.

"That's right, I hate that girl. She's clueless, lacks of empathy, and socially inapt. She has like that big Oedipus complex. She's full of flaws and edges. But I won't let you hurt her. She's been through enough, and she has enough troubles already. Just let her lick her wounds, would you?"

I turned to Itachi-Sama. I didn't care about running my mouth. He wouldn't kill me yet. He hadn't killed me all these years ago, and he could have repaired that mistake later. He needed information, I needed some too. We could make a deal.

"You know lots of personal things for someone who met my cousin only two days ago." Itachi-Sama said. "You have no basic knowledge of your clan Jutsu, yet you've gained so much memories and knowledge from her. And you know the effects of the clash of both our clan Jutsu."

His hands trembled. Hesitantly, he grabbed Ino-San's slender shoulders. His fingers dug in her flesh.

"Is she inside? Your clan jutsu clashed. What did you keep from her?"

"Everything. Ino-San and I literally exchanged our minds. Hence why I know the Sharingan better than I know their clan Jutsu."

Itachi-Sama let me go, he stared at me in disbelief. Jiraya-San looked at him, then me, then back to him. I wasn't sure they exactly believed me.

"Seems like your mistake was a lucky one, Jiraya-Sama." I said. "I _am_ Uchiha Yanagi, currently living inside Yamanaka Ino's body."

"The Yamanaka clan left you in that state?" he exclaimed. "What were they thinking?"

I smiled. I would say nothing more. I turned to Itachi-Sama and levelled my bound hands. He immediately produced a blade which freed my hands. I stretched a bit and repressed a yawn. My stomach growled a bit. The pressure had decreased greatly, even though he still radiated danger in his chakra. I braced myself in case he attacked again, but it didn't try. I swept the blood on my face.

Once I looked a bit more dignified, I turned to them.

"Itachi-Sama, seeing that I am still alive and looking for me for whatever reason, may I question the reason of your presence here? I suppose I'm in a position to know a bit more now."

"I'd like to access your mind. Whoever you really are, you possess some of her memories."

"For what reasons?" I asked. "Are you saying I am pretending to be her?"

"Yes."

He took a thick envelope out of an inner pocket of his back and red coat (I definitely had mixed feelings towards these colours). He opened it and took out a few polaroids. I glared at Jiraya-Sama who had the decency to look embarrassed. Itachi-Sama dismissed this and handed me the pictures. I saw a young woman with long black curly hair, a nice and somewhat boyish face, black eyes. She seemed longer than me, and curiously familiar. She looked about 13 or 14.

"Is that a relative?" I asked. "I don't recognize her."

"Look at the other pictures".

It was always the same girl, younger and younger. She looked feminine, and her expression was always vague. As a photograph, I saw those portraits as informal documents. There was no intent behind that. They only wanted to show a girl growing. And undergoing surgery if I relied to the slight scars.

Picture after picture I turned back the time, the girl's hair getting shorter and shorter, her face changing slightly, getting younger. She had burn marks on her exposed skin, explaining the surgeries. She was getting younger and younger, her appearance more and more gruesome. And then the last picture, of a girl wired on an hospital bed. A girl of ten, looking like an Uchiha, unconscious in an hospital bed.

A girl who could have been me. A girl he believed he was me.

I felt a shiver crawl on my back, feeling dissected by his eyes.

"What is that?" I muttered.

"This, is Uchiha Yanagi." Itachi-Sama said. "Or I thought so until I found her."

"I am starting to know how deep you were had, Itachi-San." Jiraya-Sama said with a mocking tone. "Not only was your girl trapped in political schemes, but you were send on a goose chase as well."

Itachi-Sama glared at him. Kami-Sama! Someone had used the fact I had survived to make him believe some other girl was me. But for what purpose? Why sending all these pictures to Itachi-Sama? And who could manage to do such a thing?

I felt the world spinning around me.

"I… I don't understand… What is that?"

The pictures escaped from my loose hands, deftly caught by Jiraya-Sama. He flipped through them as I tried to process this information. Why would anyone want to trick Itachi-Sama with my survival, my identity? What use could I have for anyone? I was just a Genin!

"I have taken some pictures of your girl in Konoha. She doesn't look like that."

"She could look like anything with surgery." Itachi-Sama said.

They were trying to get at Itachi-Sama. Through what means? Why was I considered as a way to get to him? Why me and not Sasuke, who was a much more ideal target? Were they trying to play on his guilt? But I wasn't sure he had been the one to leave me for dead (I was the only one).

"Okay, Okay. So someone blackmailed you, and you sprung the trap." I said.

I started pacing.

"And somehow my existence that had been hidden by that girl was revealed, and you asked yourself if I was for real or not."

I stopped and looked at Itachi-Sama. I folded my arms.

"So you couldn't come directly to Konoha, but you could send an invocation. Plus, you've asked Jiraya-Sama to help you and he accepted. Whatever the reasons are I don't care, they don't matter now. What matters now is to know if I'm the real deal or not. Then act."

"Hn." He said.

It sounded like an admission. But why was he obsessed by the fact I was alive or not?

"So you're telling me some girl died, someone told you she was me, and now I have to prove I am me. While in a body that isn't mine. Yes, truly believable."

Jiraya-Sama scoffed, badly hiding a laugh. My discomfort was so great with my fear to die with every mistake that I found myself daring. Both of them were killers. I put my hands on my hips and stared directly at his eyes. He was confused, very confused. If I made a mistake, he might think I wanted to trick him.

Somewhat I realized I was angry. The genius of my clan had just confronted his Chakra with mine. Granted my body wasn't mine, but how dare he didn't recognize my techniques? I _had_ trained sometimes with him, and I might have been one of the rare people to resist him (I don't think he had gone easy with me if I think about Brother's rants about him).

"Not only that!" I said with a stressed voice. "I just don't understand why everyone seems obsessed with me recently. I don't really know when you killed that girl, but I bet it changed everything. They didn't care much about me. Well, I was under surveillance, I can't access the clan documents without an authorization, and I'm being regularly monitored. But suddenly I find myself enrolled in the next Chuunin exam with a team I have yet to meet. Then everyone wants to get inside my head."

I pointed a finger at Itachi-Sama.

"Whatever you were thinking, you just wrecked my life. Again. First there's Father and you're there. Then there's Brother and you're there. Then there's the whole clan, and you're involved again. And now there's me. I'm not egocentric, but there are tons of stuff going on around me."

Or maybe it was about peace? Father was a war hero, but he had always fought against the Elders who wanted to battle each and every one. Brother had wanted peace and he was dead. Itachi-Sama, who I always believed to be a pacifist suddenly decides to kill our clan. I don't know about myself and peace (I never told anyone about my wish to pursue Brother's dream in my own egoistic desire to fill the gap in my heart), but I had been thrown in all this political mess.

I hated politics. I wanted to do nothing with politics, but I knew neither Itachi-Sama nor Sasuke would touch any business clan (except for killing or traumatizing each other it would seem). So I was the one to stick with the boring stuff like accountancy and politics. Well that would give me some business to do when I'll be changed into a baby machine to supply the clan with Uchiha babies and the village with strong and faithful soldiers to be.

I pinched the bridge of my nose while closing my eyes.

"Why do I have the impression to repair someone else's mistakes?" I huffed.

I stared at Itachi-Sama. His silent said everything.

"Why am I right when I'm being sarcastic?" I shouted before bursting into nervous giggles. "Damn, it's totally that! Someone fucked up and here we are! All hail to the Uchiha clan, with its crazy heir, its traumatized emo brother and its depressive baby maker!"

And it still didn't prove anything about me. Because someone had wanted to do things while distracting Itachi-Sama. To me, not to Sasuke. They had thrown a bone to Itachi-Sama for him to chew, and once he wasn't distracted enough I was moved forward. I felt like a pawn on a shogi board, not understanding what the strategy was.

I laughed. It wasn't funny and I wasn't amused, but I laughed anyway. I'm not a laughing girl. I was just an empty marionette moving her hole-like mouth! I stared directly at Itachi-Sama's eyes. I remember a time I had thought them pretty, those Sharingan. In the end they were just curses! What difference would it make if he looked into my eyes, or if he killed me? Things would move on, and I'd have no say in it. Sasuke would wail in despair and want to kill his brother even more, Ino-San would become me, and she'd marry into the Uchiha clan.

I could just die. I didn't matter.

It was so risible. So I laugh. I laugh that empty laugh that echoed in my inner gap. I saw the horror painted on Jiraya-Sama's face. I saw the perplexity on my Heir's face.

"What is so funny girl? Stop that sound immediately!" the Sannin ordered.

I shot my mouth, but didn't turn to him. I just looked into Itachi-Sama's eyes that weren't mine. I saw all the pain, all the guilt, all the grief. I didn't felt it.

"What is funny, you ask? I just realized how much of a pawn I was. I was used to it, but I didn't think I was in such a fucked-up world! Isn't that funny? I think it is!" I said with a steady voice.

"You're nuts kid! Pull yourself together! Itachi-San say something."

"Please." He said with his smooth voice. "I need to know if you're Yanagi-San, or if she's somewhere in you."

"Why are you looking for her so much? Why is she so important?" Jiraya-Sama asked.

"I promised I'd look after her. I will not fail again."

His voice was still. So what? Did he promise Brother? Did he promise Father? What a fool. There was nothing to look after. I gave him a smile, a sad, sad smile. Without lowering my gaze, I walked to him and slowly reached to his hands. I put them on my neck. Maybe they were warm. I chuckled. I was not amused.

"Feel that, Itachi-Sama? That steady heart of mine. It won't beat up any faster, it won't beat up any slowly." I said. "You could even break my neck in a simple move if you wanted to."

"What are you doing?" He frowned, unsure where I was leading the conversation.

"I could be another fake, just like the other girl you killed." I muttered.

I still hadn't break the eye contact. He still hadn't tried to attack me.

"I'll tell you the awful truth, Itachi-San. The awful truth about the girl who still looks up to you. The awful truth about the girl who once hoped you could help her. The awful truth about Uchiha Yanagi."

The smile that bloom on my face was like carved on wax.

"That warmth you gave her. She never felt it."

And I invaded his mind.

* * *

 _That chapter had been really hard to write! Jiraya and Itachi are so complicated characters, and I'm afraid I couldn't grasp them fully._ _Even now I am dissatisfied with the way I have written them. But the hardest part is still Yanagi who has feelings but doesn't know what to do with them. Plus, she's a good person even though she doesn't want to admit it._

 _Anyways, thanks for all your kind reviews :)_

 _Girl-luvs-manga : Of course it was Itachi. I intended Yanagi to do some investigation, but that whole crow plot just blasted eerything._

 _Lumiax : You laughed like a madman because of the crow! Actually I never intended that scene to happen with the bird flying in her face, but it was just so ridiculous I couldn't help myself! With Yanagi being such a serious character, I have to bring most of the fun from the situation. Glad it worked!_

 _MusicOfMadness : Wow, everyone loved that crow ending or what?_

 _Thanks for taking the time to comment! Don't hesitate asking questions in the reviews or by MP :)_


	15. Daddy's girl

My name is Stain I guess my dad he had the sense of humour  
He gamme such a name cause stains they all mix together  
If you are red or blue you depend on the trends  
but stains is no problem... everywhere you find them

 _My Name is Stain_ Shaka Ponk

 **Chapter 15** : Daddy's girl

Itachi-Sama's eyes widened in front of my last words. I had just told him he would never reach me, no matter how much warmth he would engulf me in. I suppose I had always been broken, all the time we'd known each other. Next thing I knew; my mind was rushing towards his.

He let me in.

 **There's this balloon-like woman sitting near Okaa-Sama again. They're having a tea. Okaa-Sama says she's a cousin of hers, that the woman husband is Kagami-San. I think nothing of this. He's nothing much than a face and ink on paper to me. Actually, the only thing I have in mind are the woman's two annoying sons playing in the yard. I am a genius. I am powerful. I can choose to study instead of playing in the yard. Otou-Sama said it was better. Then again, even though I am the Heir of the Uchiha clan, I never had the chance to play in the yard.**

 **"Itachi, take a break." Okaa-San suggested.**

 **I hesitated. Otou-Sama might get annoyed if I did so. War is coming, and so are the Iwa ninja. I had to get stronger quickly and enrol in the Academy soon. That is my future. Yet, Okaa-San often win her talks to Otou-San. She guesses when I'm not in a mood to work.**

 **I sit down near the unknown lady. She immediately makes a painful face. I freeze, unsure why my presence created such a violent reaction.**

 **"Don't worry Itachi-Sama, that's just my baby girl saying hello." She winces.**

 **I cock my head to the side. Okaa-San seems to like me interact with her friend/relative/whatever. The young woman reaches for my hand, and I'm surprised to realize she is quite young. I frown. Was she like Kagami-San's second wife or what? She puts my hand on her oversized stomach. I feel a light hit from underneath her skin.**

 **"Feel it? It's a hello!" she says. "That's because she already likes you a lot!"**

 **"But she isn't even born!" I blurt.**

 **She was telling nonsense! I put my hands away from her. It was weird seeing a cheerful Uchiha. I didn't know how to react. Okaa-San was still smiling. Obito-San and Shisui-San were still playing in the yard.**

 **"Did you name her already?"**

 **"I thought of naming her Mioko. Child of the water path, it fits, right?"**

 **"It follows your tradition, Shimizu. I hope she becomes a fine Suiton user like yourself."**

 **I remember the laugh of Uchiha Shimizu on that day. I remember her grief when Obito-San, her husband's son died during the war, giving his Sharingan to Hatake Kakashi. I remember Uchiha Kagami-San growing grimmer everyday as his wife died while filling her daughter with life. She died for an unborn child. I couldn't understand why one would do that. The baby wasn't even alive!**

 **In the end Shimizu-San died. I remember her daughter wailing during the wake, looking for warmth her Father and remaining Brother denied her. Oh, how I so understood that girl. They even went to put their resent down to her very name.**

 **The day Uchiha Shimizu was buried, I reached for her baby girl. She kicked me and howled at me with all the strength of her lungs. I held on. She'd eventually warm up to me. After all, she was just saying hello.**

I blinked at Itachi-Sama, unsure of what he just showed me. I had just been … him? What a peculiar heir our clan had. But the memory I had just been shown called another in my mind. A painful one I couldn't keep behind my mental barriers. It washed over me, over our intertwined minds.

 **I was kneeling on the cold tatami inside the Naka shrine. On the altar, surrounded by candles laid Brother. His eyelids were closed over empty ocular globes. They had put marbles inside so they wouldn't look hollow. It didn't change the fact his body had been desecrated. Someone had stolen Brother's Sharingan. That thought had been sending my stomach up and down for days.**

 **It was so wrong.**

 **I didn't move from my seiza. I hadn't cried when I had learned the news. I had just sat down and waited. For what? I couldn't tell. I remember my stepfather mentioning a big meeting within the Uchiha clan, a meeting he wouldn't have able to attend to hadn't he adopted me. I wondered what the man did to make Fugaku-Sama accept the deal. Other families would have been so much better than the one I had been. But I digress.**

 **There was a meeting where Shisui-Nii went, from which Itachi-Sama was absent. And then suddenly there's a suicide letter from Brother and the police accuses Itachi-Sama. Tekka-San tells me every day how much he thinks Itachi-Sama is guilty. I think he's looking for an excuse to discredit him. I suppose he wants me to consider him as a relative, instead of ignoring him and his parents like I had done since the adoption had taken place.**

 **I couldn't tell what I thought of Itachi-Sama. He had been acting weird recently. I used to see him a lot around me, protecting me while competing with Brother. I knew it made Brother react. So I let Itachi-Sama coming near me, I risked dishonouring him by my behaviour, just to keep brother near.**

 **But Brother was dead.**

 **Only Itachi-Sama was left with his warmth I couldn't feel.**

 **The candles around his corpse flickered as someone entered the temple. I didn't look at the visitor. It was probably someone 'caring' for me. Like hell! They just wanted me to pressure Itachi-Sama. But I couldn't do that. Maybe they talked but their voice didn't reach me. They finally left me in my grieving loneliness.**

 **I didn't know what to do of Itachi-Sama anymore.**

 **I wanted to keep Brother alive, to remember all the tiny pieces that were left of him. If it took to believe in Itachi-Sama's words, then I'd believe in him. I just wanted to close the gap Father had left and that Brother had frozen.**

 **I stood up. I walked up to the altar, looking at the offerings in distaste. No flowers, nor coins, nor prayers were going to give me Brother back. It hadn't worked on Father. And I had given him my whole.**

 **There was nothing left for Brother in me.**

 **"How can you smile so peacefully?" I said blandly to his sleeping face.**

 **I wanted to wipe that peaceful expression. It disgusted me.**

 **"You're the lucky one, you know? Being called back by Father, that is…" I said again.**

 **What was I hoping? He wouldn't stand up to look at me.**

 **Father was a selfish one. He took one and every feeling from within my heart, leaving me cold, and dry and empty. And now he called Brother back to him. In fact, Father only liked to make me suffer. He hated me. He hated me for taking Mother's life. He hated me for keeping Brother near me.**

 **"You know; I'm starting to think there is some good in that situation. Father took everything I liked. But there's nothing left anymore! There is nothing he can take from me anymore!"**

 **How wrong had I been in that statement!**

Memories were calling other memories, as if connecting our minds had broken a dyke. Memories were pouring through. My mind had been weakened by the exchange with Yamanaka Ino and by this everlasting Genjutsu. I felt Itachi-Sama prodding my mind, but it didn't feel like the Yamanaka clan Jutsu at all. Neither of us were specialized in reading minds after all, even though our Sharingan gave us some insight.

"Please calm down." I heard his voice say, but it was ringing in my mind.

Suddenly he found himself in front of the block. I felt his frowning curiosity as he identified the numbing chakra as Hyuuga. All my mind went suddenly still, cautious as what he'd do. I felt lots of emotions flickering from inside my mind, though I knew I kept my face blank. I was just watching.

The Hyuuga optometrist had said I would need a stronger Sharingan to undo the centre of my problem. Probably. It was worth a shot: the Yamanaka Elder did say she couldn't help me with the main problem.

I felt Itachi-Sama's mind rippling. I think he guessed I wanted a favour from him. I blinked, focusing on his eyes and not in the inside of my head. He was about to strike. I mentally winced. My defences would probably fall if he entered like a brute. I had stirred his curiosity. A girl who had exchanged her mind with the Yamanaka heir, with a Hyuuga block in her mind, pretending she was the person he was looking for… Even though I wasn't her, I was probably the only person with all these elements.

That meant I was important enough to get the attention of two main clans. Given the fact we were thrown inside a political mess; I became even more intriguing.

I had just shown him personal memories. Some I could have had either by stealing, or by being Uchiha Yanagi myself. And no one in their right mind would have sent a messed up girl like me in a mission if she wasn't important to begin with.

What he had doubted was about to be true. He was excited by the answers being at hand.

I relaxed at his contact, showing I was cooperating. Little by little he started unravelling the chakra block. Fear was filling me. Not the rational, logical fear that had bloomed inside of me since Jiraya-Sama had abducted me. It was an old fear from a younger me I had thrashed away to stop being hurt.

I felt both our apprehension. Suddenly everything was…

 _Black. And red. Oh I hadn't felt that for a while._

 _I looked at my soaked yukata and the blade piercing me._

 _"Damn, I had almost missed this." I said._

 _The dark man in my dream was there as well, fully appearing at the end of the katana. The pain wasn't entirely there, as if Itachi-Sama had only conjured the images._

 _"Hello again." I said._

 _Surprisingly, everything was more detailed than usual. I hadn't remembered the warm breeze, the cicadas, or the smell of the night. I hadn't remembered the gurgling body of Tekka-San either. I hadn't remembered the slight bruises my flight had caused, nor the broken bushes._

 _What I was seeing might be more the memory of the day than the illusion._

 _Well they were linked, but I had been more focused on the pain._

 _Everything was getting more and more detailed, to the point it hurt looking at it or touching it. It was so painfully real. And when I meant everything, that meant the pain was almost unbearable. Itachi-Sama was all around me, aware of everything, analysing everything._

 _I laid, trembling in that puzzle, in that fixed moment of agony, the very moment before I almost died. I had to hold myself together. I had to. I had to! My ears were ringing because of some horrendous buzzing sound and all that whiteness._

Then I realized it was the reverberation of my suffering howls.

"Why?" Itachi-Sama asked softly, and my eyes locked into his, my mind split between illusion and reality.

Why what? Why was I holding? Why was I not allowing myself to stumble?

Images were brought to my mind, a deep feeling I couldn't understand but it was strong and warm. It mixed Sasuke's face, the view of the village from above, the lined tombs, the quietness of the morgue, my team around the campfire, Tenten at the teashop booth…

Maybe that was it…

Itachi-Sama made the equivalent of a mental warm chuckle.

A searing pain pierced my head as my cousin literally shattered my mind. Blood splashed through my nose again, thick blood tears escorting them. Metal taste invaded my mind. Everything went blank and disappeared. Silence fell.

My mind was clearer than it had ever been.

I took a deep breath, amazed, as if it was my first time breathing.

A warm hand was wiping the blood from my face with gentleness. It felt so wonderful… I fell asleep more than I passed out from the anaemia, Itachi-Sama stroking a face that wasn't mine. I resisted. I couldn't fall asleep now! Of all times, I had the man who held all my answers.

I opened my eyes with great difficulty, trying to speak with a sore throat.

"What you saw… What you did… I don't understand…"

"I'm sorry Yanagi-San, but you don't reason well when you're out of your mind." He answered.

"Itachi-San, I doubt this is the moment to be joking around." Jiraya-Sama grumbled. "I'm sure there is a lot to talk with this young lady, but we're running out of time."

I gritted my teeth. If only I had my own body, I wouldn't be so weak. I clutched his coat with frail fingers, thin fingers that hadn't been hardened by hand-to-hand combats or burning flames. Damn! The first time I really wanted something, I was limited by something as futile as an untrained body. But the rough material escaped my hands, just like a river.

"Don't go…" I muttered. "I have questions…"

"Everything will be answered. I promise" He answered.

After a moment of hesitation, he brought his little finger near me. I crossed mine with his, slightly amused. Were we still those two kids hiding from our sticky and jealous brothers?

"I trust you." I muttered.

I felt a light touch against my forehead.

"Wait for me." He answered.

Dark.

 **I had just learned about Brother. Tekka-San had shown me the body and the suicide letter so I'd formally identify them. The whole operation had thrown me into a daze. The gap. The hole in my chest. The frozen lips of the wound. They had moved. Wrong, worse, wider.**

 **Father that jerk! I had found myself untouchable. I thought dying had been his last punishment for Mother's death. But I still had Brother. He was getting away from me, but I knew he loved me. So Father took him from me, just like he kept me from feeling.**

 **I felt empty.**

 **Tekka-San said it was Itachi-Sama's fault. He said he was lucky to be protected by his father. At least he had a father that loved him. I had nothing left: no Mother, no Father, no Brother. Blaming Itachi-Sama seemed so easy; I could do it on a whim.**

 **After all I had no further use for him. Nor for Sasuke-Chan anymore.**

 **Yet right after he was accused he came to me. We sat on the rooftop, looking as stars like usual, like nothing happened. I could blame him, or I could pretend. What should I do? These were the only two choices I had, right?**

 **But tonight I couldn't tell if he was giving me his warmth or if he was looking for mine.**

 **"What should I do?" I asked.**

 **He was the clan Heir; he could order me around. But he said nothing. He just looked me sad eyes, desperately sad. He was the one who needed help this time. I had always been a mean to an end, the perfect child and bride-to-be. I had never helped anyone before. Maybe it was time to be a little innovative.**

 **"Do you trust me?" he asked.**

 **It wasn't an order, but I dipped my head. He was distraught, it was natural for me to say…**

 **"I want an honest answer, Yanagi-San. Do you trust me?"**

 **Itachi-Sama has always been the first one to help me when Father died. Now that everything accused him of Brother's death, I was the one he came to. I was branded as Kakami's daughter or Shisui's sister; now that there were both dead there was only me. And that was exactly what the teenager saw: me.**

 **"I trust you." I said steadily.**

 **"If I told you I didn't kill your brother; would you still trust me?"**

 **I marked a pause. I looked at Itachi-Sama in awe. What did he want from me? I didn't understand what he was saying. And why, oh Kami why, did it sunk so deep? In what isle of feelings had his words landed? I couldn't tell I had it in me.**

 **He said he hadn't killed my brother. He wanted me to believe something totally different than I was told to believe. They knew Itachi-Sama had been acting weird lately, but even though he had been tired and absent, Itachi-Sama had always been the same to me. They had deemed him guilty of Brother's death, but they had no proof. They wanted me to believe their words, to condemn the boy who had poured his warmth in my frozen heart. In the end, it was their world against his. I was asked to believe either the mob who branded me or Itachi-Sama who saw me as me.**

 **"I trust you" I repeated, a little more firmly.**

 **"If I told you I saw him die, and that it was me who wrote his suicide letter; would you still trust me?" he added then.**

 **I froze again. It was a real leap of faith he was asking me. But how could I prove him I believed in him? He saw me as me. He valued my opinion. I saw him as him. I wanted his version of the story. Brother had always been away from me, Itachi-Sama had always been there.**

 **I put my finger in the air.**

 **"Pinky promise." I said with serious.**

 **For a brief moment of wonder, I was sure Itachi-Sama was about to laugh. He hadn't anticipated that, had he? Pinky promise, the biggest promise between two children. I was willing to believe in him.**

I was shaken awake. Immediately I tried to come at the assailant but he immediately lifted his hands in the air.

"Nee-San it's me, Sasuke!" he shouted.

I blinked. What the… I had been laid in a very familiar place. All around me stood what was left of the Uchiha compound. I felt wobbly. The front on my shirt and most of my face were stained with blood.

"But I was…" I started.

"Where the _fuck_ were you?" he yelled. "You've been missing for hours, and your Bunshin at the Academy was totally not credible. Iruka-Sensei send people for Ino-San."

I hung on his shoulder as he lifted me up. I wasn't used to have him taller and stronger than me; it was a really strange feeling. I saw him bleep some walkie-talkie that had been hung around his throat.

"Sasuke here. Over."

"Inomaru speaking. Any lead on your cousin? Over."

"I have her. She's injured. Over."

"I'm fine." I insisted. "Just lightheaded."

"She's delusional as always. Possible heavy blood loss. Over." He added.

"Gotcha. We're coming. Over."

He bleeped it off. I pouted. He was treating me like a child.

Then I realized how clear my mind was. Like without weird dreams or everlasting Genjutsu anymore. I looked at Sasuke, eyes wide awake.

"Before they come, I have something to tell you. I saw your brother." I said quickly.

His hand gripped my shoulder. I could distinctly hear the fabric of my clothes being torn.

"He didn't hurt me, or at least I was injured when he helped me. He saved me from the Genjutsu that was in my head, and he promised he would answer my questions." I informed him.

He stayed silent a while, glowering.

"It can't be him." Sasuke said. "I refuse to believe that."

"I wasn't played, Sasuke. I know I just saw Itachi-Sama, and he had been looking for me. He came to check that I was alive."

Sasuke winced when I said his name. He almost looked jealous that his brother had been looking for me and not for him. Then he frowned.

"Why you? Why now?" he asked. "It doesn't make sense."

I raised my brows.

"You're only noticing now?" I remarked.

Sasuke flushed in anger as I heavily leaned on him when we started walking.

"This… has nothing to do with what he _did_." He growled. "You're still believing in him."

"Yes." I simply said.

"You're unbelievable!" He scowled.

He dragged me outside the compound and helped me sit against a wall. He handed me dry fruits and a bottle of water. In my weariness, I hadn't noticed I was starving and dehydrated. He helped me while I heard people coming near. I could even feel their chakra.

"Are you angry?" I finally asked. "At me, I mean."

"You're just so reckless, Nee-San. Always looking for answers where there's none."

"How do you know there's none?"

"I just know, okay?"

I looked at him. He finally escaped my gaze, looking away. I noticed I had the exact same behaviour when I was embarrassed. It made me smile, our similarities. I ruffled his hair playfully.

"Don't do that with Ino's body." He complained.

I was carried back to the Uchiha clan where my mind was prodded again and again. Curiously, my mind was still damaged, even though the power of the Sharingan wasn't active against me. I still felt the missing parts of myself, the memory bits that weren't there. It had been so easy to conceal the memories of today behind a closed door.

Itachi-Sama and Jiraya-Sama hadn't erased my memory but left me in my own compound, practically unharmed. They had trusted me not to talk. They were my secret to keep, and Ino-San's body made everything so easy, even though I felt sore and tired.

I thought for a while when I cleaned the girl's body under a hot shower. Itachi-Sama had come near Konoha, even though that seal barrier the Senju had put in place so long ago. I didn't know exactly where it laid, but my cousin hadn't raised the alarm. Whatever the reson was, he went to see Jiraya-Sama, totally ignoring the village where Sasuke and I were supposed to be. Had I not been with Jiraya-Sama, trapped in another's body, would he had come?

And who would he had come for?

He hadn't asked Jiraya-Sama about Sasuke. He hadn't asked me about Sasuke, only felt when I thought of protecting him. In the end, he had only been concerned with me. So why wasn't Sasuke in the picture? He was his own flesh and blood; the little boy he had left traumatized.

I couldn't understand what was so important about me.

Later that night Sasuke told me about his last meeting with his brother. We had checked that everyone was asleep, then snuggled in the same blanket in the patio, watching silently at the stars. He told me about his world crumbling all around him when his gentle brother became that power-thirsty monster. He told again about the murder he was supposed to commit to become as powerful as Itachi-Sama. All in all, he was just a frightened child, afraid that I was going away from him.

I was changing. Little by little, with every answer I found, with every problem I solved, I was changing. He was afraid he might lose me.

I knew what he was feeling. Father had died and my world had shattered. My world had shattered again when Brother died as well. In the end I had made that crazy leap of faith, believing Itachi-Sama would be strong enough to hold my world. Even with him gone and changed into that criminal I didn't understand, my trust in him remained. I wanted to explain to Sasuke that he could trust me as well, just like I believed in his brother. I wanted to explain I'd still keep him whole despite all the changes I could go through.

I wanted to explain things that couldn't reach him. Just like Itachi-Sama's warmth didn't reached me. Yet Itachi-Sama's word had hit me. So maybe something of me could get to Sasuke. Even if it was something futile.

Maybe one day we could share the same dream our brother's had pursued.

"I don't know what to say to you anymore." I said when he had been finished. "We're just growing apart in different directions. You want to set things right, and I want to understand what happened."

"You're not making sense, again."

"Maybe it's not me. Maybe it's just the world all around us that is going the wrong way."

"Then which way should it go?"

I sighed.

"I have no idea, Sasuke."

"You're not adding the 'Chan' anymore."

"That's true. I hadn't noticed."

"I think you haven't done that since when we fought against each other."

I turned my head on the other side, noticing he was doing the same the other way. It made me smile. We were so similar him and I.

"Sorry about exploding like that. I guess we're unable to adopt each other's viewpoint."

"Is that me or you're almost sounding _amused_?" he said with a weird tone.

I looked at him, raising a brow.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked with a frown.

"It's unusual. You're always either unimpressive, or, angry or slightly sad sometimes, or even obnoxious when there's blokes around, but it's been a while since I heard you express anything else. It's good."

A timid half-smile bloomed on my lips.

"Please don't smile." He said quickly, his eyes wide. "It's creepy."

I pouted. Tenten had said the same a few days earlier.

"I might feel hurt." I said.

He slightly smiled as well.

"Then maybe you're feeling better after all."

"You have your brother to thank for that."

"No way in hell." He growled.

Yeah, maybe one day we could share the same dream Itachi-Sama and Shisui-Nii had. One day when I'll be able to express my feelings properly, not like the empty doll I had become. I checked the red pendant around my neck. Father had offered that to Mother way before I was born. Forgetting and forgiving Father depended on a "one day" as well.

"One day." I muttered to the wind.

"Where did you get that?" Sasuke asked.

"The archives. It was a gift from Father to Mother."

"I always get the feeling you're revering Kami when you talk about them. You're still visiting them every day?"

"Always."

"Want me to tag along tomorrow?"

I remained silent. It was the first time Sasuke suggested we did something of that kind together. It pleased me more than I had expected. I felt a blush creeping on Ino's features, and I bet my own face would have been even worse. I nodded shyly.

"I pray to your parents as well." I muttered. "I've been doing that in your stead. I hope you don't mind me doing this."

"No, it's cool. You've always been very respectful of traditions, Yanagi-Nee."

His hand was twitching near my borrowed body. He suddenly seemed very small near me.

"I think I'm afraid to face them…" he confessed. "I don't want to disappoint them."

"You shouldn't." I said. "Your parents loved you very much."

I couldn't help the crack in my voice. Father had never told me he had been impressed by my Ninjutsu like Sasuke's did, even though I would have loved if he could have seen me blowing blue flames. Mother hadn't had the time to live with me, but Itachi-Sama's memories had transmitted her love to me. As to Brother… I never understood Brother.

"At least your brother loved you." Sasuke grumbled.

"Wanna bet?" I found myself responding.

"Then you have me, and I have you. We love each other, right?" He said.

"Of course we do. I'll always been there for you, Sasuke."

In the garden, a crow took its flight. I wondered if one of his eyes was a Sharingan.

* * *

 _I had a hard time finishing this chapter (even now I dont feel satisfied)_

 _ **Radiopoisoning** : No, the Genjutsu inside her head isn't Kotoamatsukami, sorry :) But nice try_

 _ **NightsBlackRose13** : Yanagi still has room to snap, but yeah she's gone pretty insane last chapter :D #stadisticauthor_

 _ **Girl-luvs-manga** : Well Yanagi's laugh was definitely not just because she realized she had been played too_

 _I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :)_

 _Don't forget to leave a revie, it's always nice to discuss with my readers :)_

 _See ya!_


	16. The last day

_WARNING DOUBLE UPDATE, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE LAST WEEK'S CHAPTER  
_

 _Sorry about that :) Due to a lot of stress at school (I can't find an internship for this year, and I need it to complete my studies) I was unable to finish that chapter in time. This is why I decided to do a double update._

 _Enjoy_

* * *

Reach for the top  
And the sun is gonna shine  
Every winter was a war she said  
I want to get what's mine

Jezebel, Sade

 **Chapter 16** : The last day

I woke up when Sasuke stirred during his sleep. As always. I remember starting to fall asleep outside, my cousin slightly snoring against me. I had never been able to sleep beside anyone I didn't trust fully. Sasuke and Tenten might be the only people I believed enough to entrust my fragile form to. With the new sense that came with Ino-San's body, I was _aware_ of the moves around us. Sleeping outside was nice, and I liked the refreshing breeze. Though it wasn't secure enough, no place will ever be to me. Hence the light sleep. Even near my precious people.

And with Itachi-Sama's easiness to enter the village and its environs, I had even less confidence in the security of the village. If it had been secured at all. There were people acting against me, playing with my brain. People for whom I was a mere pawn to move on the shogi board.

I doubted those people would appreciate me becoming a player.

First I had to go back to my body, and accomplish the Hokage's secret mission. This would enable me to meet one of the players (other than the Hokage himself, that is). I had to be away from the meeting because my insights and lack of acting skills would endanger me. Plus, Ino-San knew nothing, so she wouldn't stir too much interest in me. In addition, I had been somehow told to use the sensing abilities coming with the girl to identify something about the player.

The Hokage's aim was to give me faith in him. So I wasn't trusted yet, or my loyalty towards him was considered fragile. That meant that unknown player had something to tempt or blackmail me. I'd rather think he wanted to persuade me, since the Hokage himself came to me so I'd distrust the man. A man powerful enough to act in behalf of the leader of the village, and make his orders unstoppable.

Second I had to ensure the security of Tenten's parents. I had given them full access to my archives, which made them easy targets. I should probably see with them whether it was more cost-efficient to hire mercenaries, make it a long-term mission to pay to Konoha, or adopt people into my own clan. I had no manpower yet, and my commercial network was probably using the death of my clan as an opportunity to cheat with the accountancy and steal money from me. But if I managed to get this network working well, I'd gain some strength and recognition.

I was the representative of the Uchiha clan for Kami's sake!

That would mean I'll have to find more people than my friend's civilian parents to delegate my work. That meant untrustworthy people I had to be insured of the fidelity. Plus, I'd probably have to visit all the outlets of the network to ensure they would not leak any information to strangers, and so on. Maybe having some of them move to Konoha.

Third I had to get strong enough to survive in the Chuunin test. From what I had gathered about the last tests that had been done, the percentage of people passing the test was less than one out of ten. I doubted I had the physical or mental abilities to survive. Plus, this was a team effort, and I had yet to meet my new team.

That meant I had tons of work ahead of me.

And what about later? What would happen to me when Sasuke gets old enough to lead the clan and I don't get to decide anymore? What would happen when I would be more effective as a baby maker than a soldier? What about me? What about I wanted? There of tons of things I had to do, because I wanted my clan to rise again. There was even more to do if I wanted to achieve Brother's dream. How would I be able to do that when the only outcome was that I'd become a minor actor?

How could I become a major actor?

I wasn't an important member of the Uchiha clan, I never were. Granted my bloodline was pure and my ancestors honourable, yet I had done nothing major. Maybe things would have been different then, if I had favoured my own prowess instead of Brother's opinion of myself. But in the end, all my live was summed up in a katana blade which missed my heart. All power of the Uchiha clan would go to the heir when he comes of age. Itachi-Sama was the real leader of the clan, but I had no doubt Sasuke would use his status to become the clan head himself.

If Itachi-Sama lost his title, the next head of the clan will be his heir, for now it was Sasuke. Even if I acted instead of the Head of the clan, because we needed someone to do so, I'd lose that role as soon as Itachi-Sama ceases to be on the run, or if Sasuke gets interested in politics. Knowing what my cousin did, the second option was most likely to happen; especially if we kept adopting different viewpoints. But in this situation, there was a loophole. If Itachi-Sama happened to produce an heir, then they would become the next head. The only problem was to find a suitable person to carry the future of the Uchiha clan, and if I did found this woman, I'd have to convince Itachi-Sama.

So before anything, I should keep Itachi-Sama in check. He said I had to wait for him to get my answers. But now I knew two persons who could reach Itachi-Sama: Jiraya-Sama and the other invocator of the Crows. The first one might be difficult to reach, and he still possessed compromising pictures of myself. I'd rather make him pay than ask him for a favour. He might think I had a loose screw or two. Then there was that Yamashiro Aoba left, but I would need Kakashi-San's report first, as well as my own body to communicate with the man.

I had about five days left in a body that wasn't mine. That would prove disagreeable.

At least I could keep my own body close. Therefore, I didn't take Sasuke's offer up since I was still in Ino's body, favouring morning sessions to keep my body fit. I was starting to appreciate the girl a little bit more. She had a sharp tongue and a nice sense of humour that made me smirk from time to time. She had a right set of mind too, behind all her superficial hobbies.

The first weekday of observation was boring. I just looked at my team and Tenten running around like crazy. Gai-Sensei had Ino-San fight against my teammates, her Taijutsu being worse than mine and hindered by the weights I still forced her to wear. She looked really tired, that girl, but protected, liked. I found myself happy that Ino-San get to work in such a friendly team.

The other days were as boring. Every night I was reunited with the clone I had send to the Academy all day. My acting skills weren't good enough, and the teachers started to get suspicious. I hoped the mysterious man would appear soon so I'd get my information and don't blow my own cover. I had Sasuke take the girl in our apartment to get everything go smoothly. I'd be the one to break in our own place every morning (my cousin thought it would be funny to put traps to prevent me from entering), get the two Academy students to run a few laps (inviting Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto) when we could, and train the lot until it was time to go to school.

The man didn't show up until Friday morning.

Ino-San had been taking a break from a harsh training day. I could see the sweat gleaming on my pale skin, dampening my weed-like hair, dripping from her brow. She had even unclipped my chest binder, letting my chest free. It was true, that day was really hot, and I had the most difficult time staying hidden in my bush.

As I was looking at myself laying inside a fresh river, while my teammates were down the road with Sensei, an old man walked on the forest path. I hid myself, concealing my chakra signature even more. I did good: two teenagers in a uniform I didn't recognize were scouting in the trees. They would have discovered me if I moved. I focused on the old man. He looked as old as the Hokage, as old as Father would have been today, old enough to have known the Clan wars and the First Hidden Ninja War.

He greeted her like this meeting was a coincidence. Then I felt it, that chakra I had felt before. That familiar chakra I had felt on the crow, the chakra from the Sharingan, a chakra I would have never felt if I hadn't had Ino's sensing abilities. That man exuded Uchiha chakra. That man probably hid a Sharingan under his bandaged eye. I felt like barfing. How dare he! How dare he touch one of my clansmen!

And how dare the Hokage use such a pitiful trick to ensure my loyalty?

"Hello Uchiha Yanagi. My name is Shimura Danzô." He greeted her, interrupting my reflexion.

Ino-San got out of the water, my wet hair sticking on my shoulders (should I trim them or keep them in a tight bun again?). I felt the danger on this situation, and I had to grip the branch I was hiding on so I wouldn't step before the girl. I wouldn't know if that Danzô was really as dangerous as I had been told. I had had no way to prove that my Yamanaka therapist really had blocked some of my memories on his orders. I had no way to prove he had been the one to send me to the Chuunin exam next December. But I knew, I did know he hid a Sharingan under his bandaged eye, the Sharingan of someone I had known. Itachi-Sama had the other eye. What was underneath all this?

He looked like a cripple with his bandaged arm and bandaged eye and his walking stick. He was hiding well enough. Even without my Sharingan, I noted the precision of his moves. He was strong, awfully strong. I wondered if the one tricking my cousin was that shady old man. Something told me he was.

I couldn't miss the flinch in Ino-San when she immediately reached the other bank of the river and bowed to the man. She was probably embarrassed by the position the man had found her in. I'd understand her fully: the man had the very same stern face Uchiha Fugaku-Sama had.

"Danzô-Sama." She answered, flushing a little.

"We never met before, please be assured that I apologize for this situation."

"It's not an inconvenience, Danzô-Sama."

"I trust you are a very dedicated member of the Uchiha clan. I am very sorry for your loss."

I almost scoffed at that. Don't tell me such blatant lies with a transplant from my clan. The only authorized transplant had been Kakashi-San's, and from what I had gathered about the man, it had only been approved because it had been a time of war, and the man had been teammate with one of the rare member of our clan working outside the Police Station.

"I accept your sympathies, Danzô-Sama." Ino-San said before her eyes flickered lightly towards my team. "However I cannot lose any more time on my training."

I found myself impressed with her body language and the way she talked. It was me, it was totally me. I felt the same churn in my stomach I had felt when Itachi-Sama had shown me that girl who could have been me. And that man had been able to play my genius of a cousin. I couldn't say if I should be glad such a man considered me as a tool and not as a hindrance.

"If you would grand me a few minutes of your time, Yanagi-San, I think you would never stop losing your time anymore."

She looked up, her interest spiked. That expression on my face was unsettling. My deep dark eyes were gleaming with a peculiar light, her lips were slightly tightened, her chin up in a stubborn move. She wanted to hear what he was saying. As if I would have been interested by such an opportunity. I loved my life as it was, and someday I'll be able to get the answers I wanted. So why was she accepting something on my behalf? Did she saw an ambition in me I wasn't aware of?

"I think the reason you're losing your time in training isn't the training itself, you are working really hard. No, what slows you are your teammates."

"But, Lee-San and Neji-San are really good. I like my own team."

She… was awfully right. I don't think I'd have phrased it that way, but the idea was there. I wanted to stay with these odd teammates of mine. I had this strange like/dislike relationship with Neji-San who was at times an incredible training partner, and at other times an insensible jerk who got on my nerves. And Lee-San amused me, he pumped me up with all his energy, keeping me on my toes and my body in shape. This team was a team of hard workers, we all picked different tricks up to show the others. It may be odd to have teammates and a Sensei specialized in Taijutsu, when I was better in Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, but it balanced me. I had gotten so much better in my body.

Well in my actual body, I felt horribly slow and feeble with Ino-San's muscles.

"Their level is _adequate_ for Genin, but we both know you are better than that. Most of your family members earned a promotion at your age, some more than one. I personally think you are of that kind, Yanagi-San."

"I don't understand what you are implying sir."

"The Council decides who is promoted, and who isn't. Despite your abilities, you haven't been chosen, because the Hokage refused it. He seems to think that you are a dangerous element."

What, me? A dangerous element? In what sense? I mean, right, I was a bit on the crazy side but I got better. I got even better since Itachi-Sama "healed" me. I still don't know what caused all these Sharingan ripples in my mind, but I hadn't any nightmare nor chakra block in my mind. Even the dreams about my past had disappeared. I had yet to try my Mangekyô Sharingan in my actual body, and find most of my feelings back (but that would probably wait other meetings with Itachi-Sama). All in all, I was doing great.

Plus, lots of ninja had mental issues. I had talked to Yamanaka Chieko-San who worked at the Hospital, and she had hinted that all of the things we were forced to do in a mission had an impact on us. Sometimes the symptoms appeared right away, sometimes they appeared later, sometimes it made you sick. In the end, the mind-doctors had to get us back to our feet and make us mission-ready. A lot of ninja had issues. A lot. Well It was only logical. If we were asked to retrieve lost cats and pick up garbage at first, then we had to battle bandits to pick up some stolen treasures, next time we would become the thieves and infiltrate a place crawling with enemies, and the time after it would be to slit the throat of some troublesome noble, then after to battle ninjas of another country, and after, and after, and after…

We were told in the Academy that we would become the hidden heroes of our countries. In the end we were just blunt weapon being sharpened. We were used until we broke, so they repaired us and send us away again in an infinite circle of violence.

And in this world, some criminals dreamed of peace. That was so ironical.

And in this world, girls like myself were considered as dangerous elements by the leader of their village. Now I understood so well why this Danzo-Sama was dangerous. Had I not sensed the Sharingan under his bandages, I would have drunk his words to the very end.

"I represent a certain group of people in Konoha who thinks that you deserve to become a Chuunin. However, this implies leaving your current team."

"But the Hokage, won't he oppose that decision?" she noted.

Good thinking, she didn't ask him about the fact the Hokage apparently decided I was a dangerous element. Even though she didn't carry the same doubts I did with all this story, she knew where to look for. I don't think I'd have been as aware of my situation had I been in my own body. I think the Hokage had anticipated that.

The Hokage didn't want me to work for Danzô, and that Danzô bloke was trying to tempt me by power.

"Don't worry child, the Hokage won't be a problem. He'd understand your need to move on."

Child? Child? It had been a long time since I had been called that way. I frowned intensely, before understanding why that name bothered me so much. I had never been treated like a child before, except by my step family who only wanted fame from me. My eyes widened. That was it! Once again I had become a valuable child to bring fame to others. That is why he said it was "my need" to move on, as if it had come from me all along.

"You would fight the Hokage for me? I am afraid I don't understand sir; I am of no importance."

"You are from an ancient clan of the Village, it would be a shame to keep you lock within these walls because you might represent a danger, considering what happened to your clan."

"What happened to my clan, sir?"

Of course, Ino-San wouldn't know the details. But the tone she had asked that question sounded like an attack. What was the version of that man? I would be curious to know.

"Yanagi-San, I am aware of your morning prayers at the cemetery, as well as your visits to your old compound grounds. You are not the only one who suffered from the loss of a parent. But you won't improve if you don't take the death of your clansmen for granted."

"I still fail to understand your point sir." She said. "It is true a lot of other people died in the village, but that doesn't make me a liability."

I saw the slight flinch she made, but Danzô didn't move. I too would have frowned at his word. It didn't explain why I wasn't considered as a "dangerous" element. First, if I really was that dangerous, that Danzô fellow would have ordered my death, seeing how he was respecting the Hokage's orders. Second, if all the people who had suffered from the death of their clansmen had been considered as dangerous people, most of the village would be forbidden to leave. Plus, I doubted there was anyone in this village who had lost as many as I did, except Sasuke; even though the number didn't count in grief.

Danzô didn't pause, but his tone slightly changed. He wasn't as condescending as before. He hadn't thought the girl before him would think that deeply. Given what he must have learned from me in my scholar results and mission reports, I don't understand what made him think I wasn't smart enough to see such a blatant try of manipulation.

Right, maybe because I would have been manipulated if I hadn't been in Ino-San's body, which means I would never have met Itachi-Sama the other night (or in drastically different situation). Which would have meant I would have been thinking much more about the night I had nearly died, and been distracted enough not to pay attention to all his word. And I would never have known that he hid a Sharingan underneath if I hadn't been in a body with good sensing abilities.

"It does, Yanagi-San. These bonds you still have to these dead clansmen are meaningless relationship. A good ninja should always discern which bonds to keep, which bond to severe, and which bond never to form. Just like your actual teammates, the people you mourn are holding you back."

"You think this is what makes me dangerous in the eyes of the Hokage. Furthermore, I don't like the idea of comparing my teammates with deceased ninjas."

Ino-San's tone was hard. She was getting stressed. This was bad. Sooner or later she would say something wrong and our cover would be blown.

"My apologies, Yanagi-San, my aim was to widen your field of view." He said. "I understand young people such as yourself aren't able to see the world like I do. But I can teach you. I believe there are several things you can learn from me. Itachi-San had been one of my protégé, after all."

Ino-San's eyes widened. Of course she would have known my cousin, at least by name. He had been one of the most famous young ninja in the entire village. So that man had trained my cousin. So their relationship was deeper than I thought. If that was so, why did he send my cousin on a wild goose chase by using a fake me? What was the reason? Was it linked to the pair of Sharingan they both possessed? I couldn't tell.

"Itachi-Sama was?" Ino-San exclaimed.

I gritted my teeth. As much as I enjoyed being a spectator of this extraction of information, I didn't want to get Ino-San too involved in this. She was very capable to go and find the information she wanted. Maybe even to ask Sasuke. I couldn't anticipate what she would be able to do with these information, nor what the Yamanaka clan would be able to.

Hopefully, my savior was none other than Gai-Sensei.

"Pardon my intrusion, Danzô-Sama, but my student needs to get back to training."

"I shall give her back to you, Gai-San. Yanagi-San, we will meet again to discuss your perspectives of future."

He went away. The two boys in uniform moved silently behind him. Gai-Sensei's eyes immediately focused on them and he tensed. Immediately after he was scanning the branches around to find my hiding spot, apparently aware of the fact that I was following his student.

"I don't mind a supplementary student from time to time, but you should return to the Academy instead of skipping classes." he said.

I jumped down the tree, cushioning the fall with chakra. The grass rustled under my feet as I landed. I frowned. I shouldn't have made any sound. I wouldn't have, had I been in my body. Ino-San made a jerky move, unaware of my presence.

"I wish I could see such a dedication the next time we train together." Gai-Sensei casually remarked.

I looked at him, slightly frowning.

"I have always wondered where your limits were. You always come to the team training after three hours of self-training. When we were on a mission, you never broke a sweat. Of course I'd never have sent any of you in a mission too hard for you, but I wondered."

"Yet, Neji-San can beat me easily, and so can Lee-San." I remarked.

"He could at first, but that's because Taijutsu isn't your speciality. You never used any of your jutsu, or mild ones, on any of your teammates, and you've never used really strong Genjutsu against any of them. And you've restrained the use of your Sharingan as soon as I asked you."

"They never went too hard on me either." I said. "They're always hitting each other so hard, but never me. So why should I?"

"We're hitting the heart of the problem, Yanagi. You never had to give too much effort, because there never was any hard mission. In that I understand why people think you should advance in rank, while others wonder about my sanity."

I raised a brow. He was talking about sanity? That Sensei that was always howling about youthness and whatever? He only adressed me a shining smile in answer.

"All in all, I just wanted to tell you that we're having our last mission together as Team 9 as soon as you're ready."

I looked at the frail body of Ino-San, her long silky hair, her sensing abilities…

"I'm gonna miss that." I said.

"Yeah, me too." She said.

We looked at each other. She laughed. I managed a slight smirk. Both Gai-Sensei and her made faces at that. What? I was trying to get better at smiling and all…

"By the way, why were you stalking me all week? You're the one who had the highest chance to make me look like a freak!" Ino-San said.

"I don't really know, I sent a clone all the week and nobody asked questions. I said everyone I was feeling bad because of my new diet, and they bought it. You closest friends all know I wasn't you. I must say Shikamaru-San and Sakura-San are very interesting people."

"What? But they're so boring!"

"They're your friends. Friends are important, don't you think?"

I turned to my teammates and Tenten that had come closer.

"I think I heard wrong." The girl said. "Did you just admit you had friend?"

"And that we were part of them?" Neji-San added.

"Yosh! To celebrate I will make a hundred push-ups! And if I can't make them…"

I turned to Ino-San.

"Should we go home? Your father shouldn't be long, right?"

"Let's go."

I started walking, but slightly slowly. I knew this kind of tease would immediately make Tenten react. I never thought of teasing her intentionnaly before, but I knew her tricks. Actually that very idea of teasing her was amusing me. Gai-Sensei were watching us with a fond smile. Yet, Neji-San's hand reached my shoulder slighly faster than Tenten's. They forced me to spin and face us. I blinked, making doe-like eyes, as if I had been innocent all along.

Neji-San hadn't retracted his hands, when Tenten had. I cocked my head on the side, while gently taking his hand away from me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, slightly scowling.

"Oh, Neji-Senpai! You can do whatever you want to my body!" Ino-San said.

"Not with me inside!" I complained.

"So it's okay when you get back to your body?" Tenten remarked.

"No!"

I felt like I was in the middle of a game I didn't understand. Like everyone knew the rules and made fun of me because I didn't. Quite like when I played shogi against Shikamaru-San the other day. He always beated me at that game. That kid was frightening.

"I'm sorry Neji, I don't think you have any chances with Yanagi."

"Chances of what?" I asked.

"I think she's just super ignorant on the subject." Ino-San said.

"What subject?" I asked.

"You never thought of going out with a boy, don't you?" she asked.

"Going out? As if we were in the same building and we go outside together?"

Ino-San looked at Neji-San whie sighing, Neji-San was looking intensely at me, Tenten facepalmed, Lee-San was making push-ups and Gai-Sensei was trying very hard not to laugh.

"What?" I asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"We'll explain that to you later." Ino-San said. "You have a lot to learn."

"Cool, I like learning." I said.

"In that case I'm not sure you'll like that." Tenten said, right before Neji-San glared at her.

"Didn't you say we should see if my father was there?" Ino-San said.

I shrugged.

"Sure! Bye guys!"

We went away. I had a lot of questions in my head. Going out with a boy? Did she meant Neji-San? But we were already in the outside, so what did she meant? It was probably another of those jokes I couldn't understand. Well I didn't have much sense of humour so…

We were curiously silent as we walked back to the Yamanaka compound. I looked at my body. Of course I longed to get back inside of it, but… It was very strange to be locked inside someone else's body. I got somehow used to it, and I was still amazed by what I could and what I couldn't do in it. I looked at Ino-San in my body. I looked… softer. I was taller than the body I was in, with a V-shaped silhouette. She had bandaged my chest like I asked her to, yet not as tight as I would have done. There was a hint of my curves under the clothes she had chosen for me.

I had decided for a practical and sober outfit for her, which meant a kaki shirt with mesh and back shorts. Her skin was getting a soft tan I would never have in my own, her flesh curiosly warm. Because I was used to regulate my heat in all times, I always felt fresh in summer, chakra running in my paths. I had done it a bit in Ino-San's body, because it was a habit, but it felt weird and sluggish, alien. The way I walked was different as well, for we hadn't the same silhouette nor the same musles, sometimes I tripped, not understanding why a regular move was so strange to me.

Yet there was some moves that were inherent to her, like a remnant of her personnality. It was the gracious way I woud put silver-blonde strands out of my sight, or the way I automatically tiptoed instead of silently set my heels down and roll up my feet. In Ino-San's body I felt confident in my outer appearance. She was beautiful in everything she did. I think that went with her personnality.

I eyed my very own body. She wore a soft expression I didn't know my face could wear. I didn't know if it was because the corners of my mouth went slithly up, or because of the opening of my eyes (I always half-closed my eyes, in an attempt to protect my pupils). But she exhaled the same confidence that I felt in her body. She was at ease in my skin, allowing herself to sway her hips. I couldn't see the military way I had been educated by my clan, I found the remnants of the perfect bride my stepmother had unsucessfully pushed me to be when I was little. The cothes she was wearing were tighter than the loose shirts I usually wore, showing more of my white skin. It looked like glimmering porcelaine, quite like that Hyuuga princess in the Academy, not that sick chalk-like tone I had all the time. For the first time in forever, I thought I could indeed be a pretty girl if I wanted to.

Great, the infiltration and seduction mission might run smoother than I had thought then!

"What will happen after we go back in our bodies?" Ino-San asked suddenly.

I looked up at her. I hadn't noticed we already were back into the village.

"It seems obvious; we go back to our previous lives." I said.

"Yeah, well… It's just that it's the first time we've discussed so much. I really thought you were nothing but a bookish girl who was the cousin of Sasuke-Kun. But now that I know you, that I know more of your personality, your flaws and all…"

She looked away, just like I did when I was embarrassed. Her cheeks were slightly red, and she was balancing her weight from one feet to the other. I allowed myself another mocking smirk. I knew what she meant.

"We're really different, right? I also judged you too hastily, I think." I admitted coolly. "You're not as bad as I thought you were."

"Do you think we could…?"

"Be friends? Weren't we already?" I asked.

"You really think so?"

Her eyes… no my eyes were really shining, like dark deep onyxes. It felt weird.

"You seem really eager to have my acknowledgement" I remarked. "I hope this isn't about Sasuke. That would seem really weird, you know?"

"Well, I did have to live with your cousin. Even if I was pleased to cook for him at first, I think you spoil him too much. You're doing all the chore, plus that super hard training and all those clan stuff, by the way Tenten's parents gave me this ton of food because you gave them work, and Sasuke-Kun isn't even thanking you!"

"Oh yeah, it really surprised me to have your family members doing all the laundry and all. I felt like a little girl. It felt weird, I'm used to be considered as an independent person after all."

"I get what you mean. At first I forgot to do lots of stuff in your apartment, but it started to get messy, because Sasuke-Kun doesn't really care about that. Then he started complaining about the fridge being empty, but he immediately stopped when he remembered I wasn't you. I felt like he was ordering me around instead of warming up to me. I thought he was even meaner than he was in class."

I thought about the clone I had send to the Academy. I think Sasuke was glaring a lot at Ino-San, and lots of the fangirls were raging about that. But they didn't dare going against her, maybe because of how I had tried really hard to make her body mine.

"Sasuke has reasons not to befriend anyone."

"I think I got that." She said with an acid tone. "Yet, the way he treats you like you're his private maid. Given the way he reacted when I refused, especially after you and him fought each other, you let him do as he pleases, am I right? If you go away, he won't be able to live by himself. You're almost acting like a married couple!"

"I… I don't really talk about that."

"Not even with Tenten."

"She wouldn't understand."

"I think I can try to put myself in your place."

"Touché."

"So why are you giving him all he wants?"

I shrugged. I had started doing that in the beginning because Sasuke was catatonic, and there had to be one of us standing. It had to be me, because I could resist. Even though I had all these nightmares, I was strong. I could withstand all this pressure. I was strong enough. I could protect him, just like his brother had protected him.

"You know what bothers me the most in that?" she asked.

"What?"

"It's the ease with which you both accepted this situation. You both accepted that life. I know you're ready to accept the most suitable husband, even though you like being independent. It's like you want to be at your best when you can still be a ninja, until you fade and become that bland housewife. It's like both Sasuke and you are waiting to be wed. No wonder there are so much rumours about you being his fiancée."

I rolled my eyes. Me being engaged to Sasuke was nonsensical. Fugaku-Sama who owned the right to choose my suitor would have never given me to one of his sons, even though I was the only girl with Madara-Sama's blood in her veins. And now that there was only Sasuke and I left, marrying us to each other would only hasten the fall of our clan, like the Senju clan. Or I would have to make lots of children with the boy, and that very idea made me sick. The idea of a guy touching me didn't sit well with me either.

Weirdly enough, I hadn't felt much of the tingling, nor the hormones bath I had when I was in my own body. I was quite sure Ino-San wasn't menstruated yet. It was a relief; I think I'd have gone all the colours of the rainbow when Neji-San caught my shoulder earlier.

"I hope I won't have to marry him." I said after a moment of silence. "It would be very wrong."

"Did you know who you were supposed to…?"

"I think it was the boy in the family members I was adopted. At least that was what my stepmother seemed to want. I don't know what my clan head had decided."

There were other things going on at the time. I still had to unravel all these political intrigues. And after Brother died, nothing had been the same again.

"It's just sick! I mean, Papa would never try to do anything of that kind against my will!"

"That seems unlikely. I already have troubles to have my own point of view with your mother." a male voice said behind us.

Ino-San jumped, I turned around and was prepared to put my guard up. I had never met her father, Inoichi-San, but I had encountered Inomaru-San and one of the Elder, and I could see their close blood relation.

"Hello girls, I heard you had quite an adventure this week." The man coolly said.

"Papa!" Ino-San exclaimed.

"Yamanaka Inoichi-Sama." I greeted him. "I was told we needed your help with the merge."

His light blue eyes blasted through me. I was embarrassed. I almost spilled the beans about the secret mission and all. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists. I shouldn't talk, even if my whole body shouted that I kept a secret. The man patted both our head. Ino-San looked away and I fidgeted.

"I hope you both learned a lot from this experience." He said. "Now if you would follow me to my office."

He led us inside the house and into the basement. In an armchair, I noticed an asleep Iruka-Sensei. I questioningly showed him with a move of my head.

"He was more observant than you thought, even though the clone you left attacked him with a discreet Genjutsu. I'll have Inomaru train you better in that field when you get into the T&I department."

"He told you about his job offer?"

"He send me a very long letter of praise; you know?"

I fidgeted before stopping myself. This physical attitude was all Ino-San's. I couldn't help looking away and blush.

We sat on the tatami. Ino-San and I closed my eyes. Her father put his hand on our brows, his smooth voice asking us to relax. I tensed when his chakra entered my chakra streams, enveloping my mind with a coat of energy. At a moment I felt like Ino-San and I were one person. The world was spinning, and I felt so vulnerable, despite the tight grip of Inoichi-San. Yet, I felt so free, not hindered by this body, free to fly wherever I wanted.

And then I felt I was breathing again, but with that dull feeling in my left side. I felt all this mix of hormones and feelings I had felt for so long. I felt grateful. I may have a defective lung, but it was mine. I may have seaweed-like hair, but it was mine. I may be a training freak, a bookworm, but it was me. I opened my eyes and spun my Sharingan. I had missed the feeling of it. The sight of Ino-San in front of me was incredible.

Then I realized that I still could _sense_ her. Not as precisely as when I was in her, but still better than whatever I could have done before. Didn't the elder said we would be keeping stuff from the exchange? I felt

"Uh… Senpai? How do you turn that off?"

Ino-San's skin was red and her clothes were starting to smoke. Woops! Another troubling child to taught Katon Jutsu then!

* * *

 _ **Minamicchi** : thanks for your concern about Yanagi not being in her own body. Don't worry she shoudn't be switching again... Maybe...  
_

 _ **RadioPoisoning** : Yanagi won't be at 100% but she'll start thinking a lot before kicking major asses. As for her Mangekyô Sharingan, it would be too easy to five it to her yet. Especially when she's never using all her resources (basically she's always thinking something bad might come up, so she keeps some tricks)_

 _ **Girl-luvs-manga** : Yes, Yanagi did thought Itachi came for her and not for Sasuke and thought it was weird. But first, she is persuaded lots of things are revolving around her and sometimes don't think further than that. Second Itachi doesn't want to see his brother because he knows the next time they see each other there will be a dead. And third: Itachi had been led to believe that Yanagi was alive, only to see that she was in the village living with his brother, which made it look like there was another fake living with Sasuke._

 _See you next chapter!_


	17. Sharp Mind

_WARNING DOUBLE UPDATE! THIS IS THE SECOND CHAPTER POSTED THIS WEEK._

* * *

 _Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?_  
 _Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?_  
 _Where have all the flowers gone?_  
 _Young girls have picked them everyone._  
 _Oh, when will they ever learn?_  
 _Oh, when will they ever learn?_

 _Where have all the flowers gone , Peter, Paul & Mary_

 **Chapter 17** : Sharp Mind

I stretched, finally at ease in my rusty old body. I felt a strange satisfaction in hearing my shoulders creak. I saw Ino-San cringe at that sound. We had spent nearly an hour to make her understand how to make her chakra particles vibrate. She seemed surprised that I didn't possess a good chakra control: she thought it was a very precise operation. It had been so natural to me that I hadn't paid attention.

"I might be the first Yamanaka with Katon abilities!" she said.

She looked so happy! Her joy was communicative. I gave her a small smile. I was ready to get bashed about the lack of natural of that expression. But the blonde threw herself at me. I almost lost my balance. I drew back a few paces, her arms locked around my neck.

"You finally smiled for real!" she beamed at me.

"Too close! Too close!" I complained.

"Oh! Sorry."

She let me go and put her hands behind her back with a sheepish smile.

"I forgot you weren't tactile. It's just so natural to do that, you know?"

I could admit that. I wasn't the hugging type. Truth be said, I rarely had that kind of affectionate gesture towards my relatives. I think the closest think I did was poking Tenten in her ribs and ruffing Sasuke's hair. But Ino-San… no Ino, we had been the closest ever after all. So Ino hugging me was strange. But it wasn't disagreeable. Maybe I could come to enjoy it.

"I get what you mean." I said. "I'm afraid it might be awkward, you know?"

"Shut up and come here, you giant alga!" she mocked right before hugging me again.

She squeezed me, and the pressure around my chest tightened. I wasn't sure what I should do with my arms though, so I clumsily close the embrace around the younger girl. Her head rested on my shoulder, her long blond hair caressing my skin. It was a very embarrassing display. Especially when all my teammates just opened the door to the veranda we had just finished training. I felt myself growing red by the minute, under the cheeky smiles of my friends. I turned my head away. Ino-San tightened her grip, and I was about sure it was on purpose.

"Could you just leave? There are girls cuddling here." She said.

"You could also let me go…" I suggested gauchely.

"Hum… no. It is too fun teasing you Senpai." She said.

Tenten was gripping Lee-San's shoulder hard, biting her lower lip not to laugh too hard. Neji-San was staring; I couldn't know what was going through that head of his. Not that I wanted to know how a Hyuuga thought. Apart from him, the shy heir and the optometrist, I was quite sure there were any decent people in this clan. I didn't even know if I could count Neji-San in being someone decent given all his annoying speeches about fate. If he only suggested that exchanging my body with Ino was fated…

"Do you think you could let me go now?" I asked.

"Depends." She said. "Do you mind if we grab a bite?"

"And I suppose I'd be the one to pay?" I sighed.

She nodded eagerly. Her blue eyes were shining with mirth. I turned my head away again. Tenten snickered even louder, and so did Lee-San.

"Stop making fun of me!" I yelled.

Even Neji-San was chuckling now. I glowered before pushing the girl away. This was enough fun for now. Not counting the hormones doing anything they wanted now that I was back inside my own body. Tch. Annoying.

In the end we went to the Yakiniku Q and everyone paid for its meal. Especially since we added other kohai in the mix, and that one of them was Uzumaki Naruto and the other Akimichi Chôji and that there was no way I could assume such expenses. I think Sasuke was happy as well. During the meal Sakura-San was unfortunately squeezed between Lee-San and Naruto-Kun who were both saying they loved her. She was sending desperate glances towards her friends, which meant Shikamaru-San, Ino-San and curiously myself. Sasuke and Neji-San were sending each other death glares, the first on my right, the other in front of me. Tenten and Ino were apparently giggling about that situation, and I couldn't understand at all.

When I was assured that everyone was home, and received other thanks from Tenten's parents (I'd have to make an appointment with them to see how things were running), I decided I needed some time alone. I hadn't had any moment of tranquillity while in Ino's body, and I had a report to tell the Hokage. So I silently crawled to his office, amazed that I could still sense a bit of the chakra around me. Apart from people cloaking their signature, it'd be harder to attack me by surprise.

I felt a flare of energy as I was about to enter the administrative building. Hatake Kakashi. I changed my path and went to him. I stopped near a tree. I didn't bother looking above me.

"You look lovely tonight." He said from behind me.

I turned around to face him, but he was already gone. My hands immediately guarded up. I moved my head an inch to the right, avoiding his hand. The masked man leaned on me. I felt tense. I hadn't been embarrassed by male presences for a week, and puberty was taking back her rights on my body. I did not dare looking away from his face.

"Good evening, Kakashi-San. You're annoying as ever." I replied.

"I guess I am. How are you fairing?"

"What information did you get me about Yamashiro Aoba-San?"

"Direct as always, just as I wanted to be sociable."

"You are not that kind of person, Kakashi-San. And I have no time to loose in fake politeness."

"Just as I was thinking you had probably learned a lot from the Yamanaka clan…"

I freed myself from him. He didn't move from his spot. Even in the darkness I could guess the mocking curve of his lips under his mask.

"If you're not ready to give me the information you've agreed to look for me, then I'll be on my way." I said before nodding a goodbye and walking away.

"I heard something fairly interesting today, about you meeting with a higher up in the forest. I was just wondering about what we had talked in the hospital."

"Can this discussion wait? I was on my way to the Hokage before you distracted me." I said.

"Were you?"

His voice hinted the he didn't believe me.

"Is that the way you're watching me, Kakashi-San?"

"Indeed it is."

"And am I considered as a… how did Danzô put it… a _dangerous_ element to you?"

I stopped in my tracks, still not facing him. I clenched my fists, waiting for his answers.

"I worked with your cousin Itachi, I know I have to expect anything from an Uchiha genius."

"So I'm a genius now?"

"You're just hiding it well, even from you. That's why you're considered as a troublesome girl."

"That's why you almost immediately accepted to train me when Gai-Sensei asked you."

"Are we asking questions about me?"

"Why not? You said you've worked with my cousin. The same cousin Danzô claimed to have trained. There are easy connections that can be made there."

Kakashi-San had been transplanted an eye during the war. The archives from our clan showed the disagreement of our Elders about this medical operation, but they hadn't been able to get past the Yondaime Hokage. And now, a man who could ignore the Sandaime's orders and take my cousin for a ride also had a Sharingan of his own. I felt the sight flutter of different chakra in Kakashi-San's eye. It was a less familiar feeling than the one in Danzô's eye, but I could link this signature to my clan as well.

"What kind of connections?"

"Knowledge is power, Kakashi-San. Speaking of which, I know where my allegiances lay. I don't know about yours. You claimed you'd be watching me because of who my Brother's was. You seem to distrust me because of my ties to my older cousin. Both of them were powerful ninjas working for peace. You tried to pry answers from me using strength and fear. Why should I trust you more than I should trust Danzô?"

A heavy silence fell after my tirade. My chakra was thickening as my annoyance grew. I forced myself to remain calm.

"As I was saying before, I'm on my way to the Hokage. Feel free to tag along."

"I think I'll escort you myself there, girl. I don't like the tone you're using, nor what your words imply. I have always been loyal to the Hokage. Can the same thing be said about you?"

His strong arm snake around me, and I felt a sharp blade brushing against my throat.

"You're resorting to threaten a Genin again when you can't make your point? That's very mature of you, Kakashi-San. You know I thought you were getting nicer the other day when you acted against that Sharingan-eyed crow. The way you were protecting me was almost sweet of you."

"I made an old promise to a man of peace before."

"There seem to be lot of promises made about me lately." I muttered to myself. "And even more questions for me to ask it seems."

"Is it me or you're only going to tease me with partial answers until I take the truth out of you?"

"Oh for that one you can ask Jiraya-Sama. I'm sure he would be more than willing to tell you all his secrets."

I smiled, fully knowing that even with all his will, Kakashi-San would never try or succeed in extract information from Jiraya-Sama. I was about sure the old man would say I was nuts if he asked about me, though.

"As I was saying before I was brutally interrogated by you, I have to see the Hokage. Feel free to tag along if you still wish to abuse your position to make me talk."

The grip shifted as he only took my arm into one of his strong hands and started running. I followed unwillingly, managing to match the speed he was using. Without my training weights this was nothing. Wasn't I getting better? I wouldn't know. A few seconds later I found myself in the round office, before an old man smoking his pipe.

"Well, well, if it isn't Yanagi-San and Kakashi-Kun. What happy occasion brings the two of you here?"

"A sharp kunai it would seem." I sarcastically said.

Kakashi-San's face remained blanked. The wrinkled man smiled at the situation.

"Come-on Kakashi-Kun. I know you're deeply concerned with the girl, but you should give her some space, right?"

"As you wish, sir."

Immediately after I was released, I put a knee on the ground.

"I'm here for my report sir." I said.

"I had guessed so much. Please stand up and continue."

I did as I was ordered, before eying Kakashi-San.

"Is he allowed to stay?"

"I trust him, Yanagi-San. I can order him to leave, if that is your wish."

"He can stay. What I'm going to tell you might interest him. And if that can keep him off my case, the better it is."

I cleared up my throat before continuing. The Sandaime's hand touched a seal near his desk. Chakra hummed around us and we found ourselves enclosed into a giant chakra bubble.

"As ordered, I followed my body while in Ino-San's body. The man who was supposed to offer me a deal didn't show up before the end of the week. He claimed to be Shimura Danzô. He approached the target while she was seemingly isolated. He had two bodyguards with a matching uniform with him, two ninjas. I didn't get to see them clearly as I was trying to hide myself. Danzô clearly stated he was the one who made the arrangements for me to attend the next Chuunin exam and change teams. As planned, I also sensed a strange chakra in him from the Uchiha clan, probably an eye transplant. The only medical operation of that kind had been done on Hatake Kakashi and backed by the Yondaime Hokage. No other operation was authorized by my clan. Though I couldn't date it, it was most likely done after the death of my clansmen. In that fashion the Uchiha clan wishes for an investigation to be opened on that matter. I think I'm done here, sir."

"Good job, Yanagi-San. However, there was another concern of mine about this whole affair."

"Can I speak freely sir?"

"You may, Yanagi-San."

"You wanted to be assured of my loyalties, sir. Even though you said I resembled my brothers and my cousin, you thought I might not be loyal to you. I know you are hiding things from me, but I'll give you an honest answer. Somehow you knew about Danzô's transplant, because you knew I would never have sided with him after knowing this. You even ensured I wouldn't be manipulated by making me acquire sensing abilities. Well played sir, but it's a blatant use of myself as a tool. You should be pleased, then, I have no wish to side with Danzô. And about me being a _dangerous_ element, as the man put it, and as Kakashi-San here was concerned with, know that I am loyal to Konoha. The spirit of fire burns within me, as you could say."

I felt Kakashi-San relaxing behind me. The Sandaime's smile widened.

"I seem to recall a girl with a sharp mind telling the head of the village wasn't the village itself."

I grinned back at him.

"This girl still thinks the same. You have grossly manoeuvred to make me side against your enemies. That makes me a bit chilly about siding with you. I have nothing personal against you, and as far as I am concerned, we are both working to bring peace and honour to Konoha. For the time being I am still thinking of you as a trustful leader. Time will tell where I will side in the future."

There was a pregnant pause while he eyed me for a long time. I saw him blow a few rounds of smoke before he decided to reply. Behind me Kakashi-San was still as calm as he had been after my report. I couldn't tell if my answer had pleased him or not. In the end I didn't know if it had that much importance. If no side pleased me, I could always make my own side. After all, the Uchiha clan owned a third of this village, and numerous properties outside.

"Will the opening of the investigation as an A-Rank hidden mission will be sufficient to ensure your loyalties to my government long enough, Yanagi-San?" he asked.

I chuckled.

"I'm the one who will be paying for this investigation." I said. "Plus, all the paperwork will help you back up all the other investigation you could wish to start against Danzô. I know you're using me again, Hokage-Sama. Don't take me for a fool."

"I wouldn't." he said.

"Then tell me, why is it so important to send me to the Chuunin exam in Mist? If, as Danzô and a few other people put it, I had the abilities to be promoted even before graduating the Academy, why didn't he chose another date? I believe there was an exam last June. Coming from a man like Danzô who had been able to order things even you couldn't undo, such things weren't impossible."

"Fine, I'll have another hidden mission about that. Paid by the Hokage Tower if you wish to."

"Add a joined investigation between the Uchiha and the Yamanaka clan about my therapist, Yamanaka Inokane, who was apparently ordered by Danzô to counsel both Sasuke and I, and finally only me because Sasuke didn't want any form of therapy done on him."

"Is the head of the Yamanaka clan aware of this demand?"

"I think he'll agree. In the end I think you might find the words for him."

"Is there anything else I can do to _ensure_ you won't turn your back on me?" the Sandaime mused.

"If we're still having this political play, I'd like to know what you have one about Jiraya-Sama's pictures. I want the original and the negatives given to me as soon as possible. You had had a week, and I know the man stayed near the village during that time."

He handed me a brown envelope. I didn't check the contents. I knew what was inside of it.

Was he still waiting for me to ask about other things? Well wasn't that a great occasion to tighten the links of the Uchiha clan with the government? There had been lots of issued in the past, especially after the Nidaime Hokage thought he could dupe our clan by giving us a role as the Police Force. We still had all the uniforms and the building, but now nothing had been officially done. I knew there was a lot of D-Rank to B-Rank missions done instead of this department. Giving back the independence to this department might be a good idea.

Plus, I could ask for loyal mercenary force to do some missions for the Uchiha clan, like checking the commercial network by the time I could go see all the business my clan owned myself.

I started to explain to the Hokage how I wanted to rehabilitate the Police Station, with me financing a lot of it, with having civilian making most of the paperwork and a test asked to the Genin Corpse and others for the Chuunin and Jounin for a more stable job. They would receive a monthly pay, with a fixed basis given their level, and a bonus for their results. I would have to be consulted for the main decisions though. In exchange there would be a new tax done on all the intern-security missions that wouldn't be done by the Police, and that is how the whole thing would be financed in the end.

As for the mercenaries, they would be granted a special status inside the Uchiha clan. That would attract some ninjas with a civilian background to me. After a short session with me and an interrogator from the Yamanaka clan (who I would pay with the clan's money), I'd be ensured of their loyalties and have them check my entire business regularly. I had thought of either hiring a team, or make regular C-Rank mission for the city (in this case they would only get recommendations in their ninja file). The last system was preferred by the Hokage, only because it offered him more work for their ninjas. Yet, I still wanted soldiers that would be loyal to my family and I only. But I supposed I would need a better fame for that matter.

I should also buy a little building with offices just to have all the administration of the clan being there. That way Tenten's parents work would be officialised, they would be able to get more people working with them, and I could guarantee the security of both the employee and the documents from my clan that way. That would also allow me to move my clan archives to a place I could legally access, without asking to enter the town archives and get authorizations each time I needed to consult something.

"Aren't you a lady with a head full of ideas?" the Hokage laughed.

I raised a brow at him.

"Am I not supposed to?" I mused.

The smell of tobacco was starting to fill the room. I was quite sure Father used the same brand. Akaringo, was it? I couldn't remember. The Hokage used it fresh, pressing the herbs inside his pipe with his thumb, grilling them, pressing them again to add a fresh layer before lighting it. I remember Father leaving yellow and red packages all over the house except near the shrine where the picture of Mother was. My eyes were tingling, but I managed to convince myself it was only because of the fumes. Not because I was thinking of Father.

Father was always in a good mood after a good smoke. He always stayed at home with me, him being the old man and me the toddler. Most of the time he would ignore me, not answering often to my tries to get his attention. I learned my first traps with him. I don't think he was pleased by how Itachi-Sama or Brother gave me some tricks, since it often resulted in me being hurt or breaking things inside the house. After my attempts, I would often be punished, left all alone in the dark cupboard by the time he finished cleaning my mess. He would go slowly, reluctantly. He would be smoking a cigarette or two. It would always calm him down.

Actually, I think he needed a lot of calm. Most of my memories of Father are him with a cigarette in his mouth. He was nicer to me after a good smoke.

"That is a good thing to have ideas. Especially with good ideas like yours..."

He let the sentence hanging. I frowned a bit. I guessed a pawn like me shouldn't be having ideas. I guessed a pawn like me shouldn't be seeing the Hokage like I did. I guessed a pawn like me shouldn't be able to impose her ideas to the Hokage. No wonder men like Shimura Danzô could lead their own actions with impunity.

"You don't like voicing my ideas." I said.

"Women aren't common in politics."

"They aren't common as ninjas in the first place. And when they start bearing children, they are no better than civilians. I was taught that soon enough, sir."

"Do I sense bitterness in your voice, my child?"

I cringed at that word. Danzô had called me that as well. Were they underestimating me? But I didn't miss the slight crispation of the corner of his eyes. Did he have a problem with my opinion in politics? Or with the disrespect I was showing him? I could almost feel the animosity from Kakashi-San behind me.

"My apologies, Yanagi-San. I guess you cannot be considered as a child with all the responsibilities you're holding as the regent of the Uchiha clan."

"The apologies are from me, Hokage-Sama. I'm taking too much liberties with the way I am taking to you." I said, dipping my head.

"Don't worry about that." He said, waving a dismissive hand. "Your point of view is refreshing. It reminds me of an old student of mine."

Which one? Tsunade-Sama was the idol of Tenten, so I knew quite a bit about her. I had met Jiraya-Sama twice, and none of these meetings had showed me the man under a favourable day. But the worst might be Orochimaru-Sama; the rumours about him were frightening. I couldn't say if I was flattered by any of the comparisons.

"Did you know it was thanks to Tsunade we now have the best healthcare service of all the hidden villages?"

"I thought she left because we were falling behind the technological progress of the civilians." I pointed out.

I hadn't been out of the village much, but I had seen and heard some shocking details. They were saying things about organising information in these big boxes full of electronic in a cryptic language full of zeros and ones. They were also talking about transporting lots of goods by using trains. It was a miracle of we had television or phones in Konoha. Everyone was communicating with letters and paper when there was apparently other means of communicating, faster than the radio. So I could perfectly understand why Tsunade-Sama left.

"You are young Yanagi-San. You do not understand the danger of these technology prowess you're speaking about. They bring other dangers we cannot foresee. But your speech brings me back to Tsunade: she too had to fight hard to be heard. She succeeded in the end, and brought lots of good things to Konoha. Such is why you shouldn't stop thinking. We are growing old in this game of chess that is politics. Perhaps you'll be the generation who'll see all of this change."

"There are people trying to stir things. Danzô seems to be one of them, seeing how he came after me way before you made your own move, Hokage-Sama."

"I thought it wouldn't have been wise to involve you so soon after all the losses you suffered. It's been four years now, yet you're only barely standing on your own two feet. Aren't I right?"

"Then why didn't you help me if you saw I was struggling?"

His eyes were suddenly shining with an expression I couldn't grasp at all. I saw Kakashi-San tensing behind me.

"Would you consider the actions of Danzô as an assistance to you?" he asked slowly. "You are aware I wouldn't have acted more different from him if I had wanted to reach you."

I shook my head. Of course not! Yamanaka Inomi, the Elder who was helping me now, had explained to me that some of the repairs and the damages had been done by the "help" of that retired doctor Yamanaka Inokane. The woman wasn't living under Inoichi-San's jurisdiction, Kami knows why; it seemed like an intern affair I shouldn't be overhearing. But in the end the therapist may have hurt me, she had also cured the issues related to my traumatism. I knew how badly Sasuke was attained because he had refused anyone looked inside his head (unless when he had been forced to or too weak to resist).

"Danzô must have been thinking he was helping me." I answered.

"I believe he did." The Hokage acknowledged.

"He also must have been thinking I would have accepted to side with him in the end. And since I believe neither Ino-San nor I said anything about the convincing argument you used to win me by your side, he might still be thinking that I'm likely to be tempted by his offer."

The Hokage pulled on his pipe again, a smile of approval tugging the corner of his lips. Maybe he liked the way my thoughts were leading. Maybe he could use that last fact to make me get information about Danzô from within his side.

"Which makes me think it was a great opportunity for you that I exchanged my body with a sensor."

"That sure was a help."

An even greater opportunity since the head of the clan, aka Ino's father had conveniently been given a mission at that moment. I managed not to show anything to the Hokage. I was starting to wonder if that inversion had been a real coincidence. Because how could anyone have known that Ino would have attacked me that day? We hadn't been in contact before, and we had only met while Tenten and I were on our way to the onsen, and so had been our kohai. Can such a meeting be arranged? That was doable, but what about the battle that went after? Now that I had been inside Ino's life for a week, I could say she wasn't too aggressive for a fangirl of Sasuke. She didn't try to jump him, and she didn't really used my body in that sense either. And now she had even a whole other opinion of my cousin.

Even though she had implied she wanted to possess my body for that purpose, now that I think of it. So how much can a desire be implanted in someone? Speaking of a clan that relied on mind Jutsu, that was something extremely easy. And their Head was away at the time it occurred…

I shall arrange a meeting with Yamanaka Inoichi as soon as possible. I kept my blank mask on. I wouldn't question the Hokage further. He was far seeing far too much things. The only thing that bugged me was the fact he had known I would switch with Ino.

"That was an intense experience I must say." I carefully said. "I got to meet lots of people."

And got a job inside the T&I department real soon as well. Really I should request a meeting with the Head of the Yamanaka clan even sooner. I should update my politic agenda as well. How many clans had views on me? Not to mention I was an unmarried young woman who might want to renew her clan.

"By the way, I heard from Yamanaka Inomi that she worked alongside Father during the First and Second hidden wars. They must also have been working alongside you and the Nidaime, didn't they?"

The Hokage's eyes went misty. Father had the same look when he talked of the past as well. With the smell of the Akaringo tobacco fumes, I could almost picture Father ruffling my hair while telling me of one of his battles. My favourite had always been about Senjuu Tobirama's sacrifice. A fond smile grew on my lips, and I left it there.

"I'd like to hear some stories from you sometimes." I said after. "Maybe around a cup of tea?"

I had no doubts that the Hokage moved to get me on his side since Danzô announced he wanted me to enter the Chuunin Exams in Mist. When had that been? I couldn't guess. I didn't know how much had been arranged for me to get in the right tracks. But now that I was starting to pave my own way, he might think clever to keep me under a close watch.

I spared a glance to Kakashi-San behind me. What better dog could have he found than that man? I wondered how deep I could trust him. He had known both Brother and Itachi-Sama, and even though they had been pacifists, he had been reluctant to believe in me. Yet he said he promised to watch over me to someone. Could I consider him as my ally?

And what of the Hokage?

"I'd be delighted to, Yanagi-San. I expect an interesting conversation from a promising young kunoïchi such as yourself."

"Thank you Hokage-Sama."

"I guess it must be really late for you. I trust you should go back to your apartment. Soon you will be called for your last mission with Team 9."

I gulped hard.

"And who might be my new teammates?"

"Danzô's men I fear. Although his troops should have been disbanded a long time ago, it may be sometime useful to have a pair of hand to… let's say to clear the dirt away."

I clenched my fists not to tremble. I had to ask.

"What kind of dirt needs missions even more secret than the ANBU? The kind that involves my cousin Itachi-Sama?"

The Hokage visibly flinched.

"Where did you hear that?" he whispered in shock.

I decided to push my advantage and stepped forward.

"I have keen ears, Hokage-Sama. Isn't that why you made me watch the encounter with Danzô from afar? I heard nice things, guessed others… Now tell me what in what kind of missions I will partake if I am to accept his offer, albeit seemingly."

He sighed, and I felt like he had turned into steel.

"I cannot tell if your sharp mind is a blessing or a curse, Uchiha Yanagi." He finally uttered. "You truly are your father's daughter."

"Glad to know I have kept something from him."

"Like you he was very intelligent. It's a shame your branch of the family never became the leading one. I feel like our current situation would have been far more different if it had been the case."

"I guess you're right." I muttered, looking away.

What could I say to that? Fugaku-Sama and I shared the same great-grandfather in the person of Uchiha Madara. The man hadn't had much time for his second born, as I heard from the stories of the clan. He favoured his first born and made him into a warrior who would have survived through the wars. That trait was inherited by all that side of the family, even though Itachi-Sama was totally opposed to it and Sasuke too young to be impregnated. Yet, I remember our clan head as a frightening man. Even though Father was even more terrifying than him in his own way.

"I cannot say what I gained from Father." I said while noticing I had been unconsciously playing with the pendant Father had offered Mother. "He died while I was quite young. But it is true I learned a valuable thing from being Uchiha Kagami's daughter. It is how to strive and survive."

The Hokage was at a loss of words for a minute or two before he laughed slightly. Of course I would have learned that. Everyone had always wanted something from me because of who my Father was. But in the end there was only me left. Everything that had been Father had been carved out of me: Mother, my feelings, Father, my skills, Brother, the clan… Everything was gone. I only lived alone a sea of ashes, protecting the small plants I had managed to grow back from everything. If I had to stand alone, then I should reign where I were.

Yanagi, the weeping willow trying to reach the moon, the witches tree, the Queen in the ashes. I will be born anew. The only thing I missed were the answers Itachi-Sama detained. And when I'll have them…

"Then I shall watch you strive and survive from the new hardships that have come your way. Let's have another chat once you'll be wearing the Chuunin green jacket." He said.

"As my Hokage commands." I bowed to him.

I waited for him to deactivate the seal protecting the room before moving from my place. As I walked to Kakashi-San, I dared looking at him. His grey eye lazily looked back at me. He half-closed it, like a cat-like smile. I didn't like it. It made me think I was the mouse in this.

Yet I was no mouse, nor a frightened little girl. I was a warrior, or at least I trained to be. I was a witch-girl from the fire clan. Fire in my veins. Fire in my veins. Fire in my soul. Fire for the Queen of ashes.

And from ashes will the Uchiha clan be reborn.

* * *

 _If you liked it, please review! I love discussing with my readers :)  
_


	18. A loyal dog

_A black eyed dog he called at my door_  
 _The black eyed dog he called for more_  
 _A black eyed dog he knew my name_  
 _A black eyed dog he knew my name_  
 _A black eyed dog_  
 _A black eyed dog._

 _I'm growing old and I wanna go home_  
 _I'm growing old and I don't wanna know_  
 _I'm growing old and I wanna go home._

 _A black eyed dog he called at my door_  
 _A black eyed dog he called for more._

 _Black Eyed Dog , Nick Drake_

Chapter 18: A loyal dog

I walked fast in the administrative building. There will be plenty of things to do to organise and supervise everything I wanted. There was so much to do in such a little time. But first I should get to sleep. And even before there was the fact that Kakashi-San was following me.

I passed through the doors. I couldn't hear him behind me, yet I knew he was there. He didn't make the effort of concealing his presence. I wanted to ignore the man, but the chakra he oozed was so pregnant I felt bad having it near me. I finally stopped dead in my tracks in front of a street.

"If you're so willing to talk with me, then come forth." I said to the wind.

And there he was. I didn't clearly sense his presence until he was on me. Suddenly his gloved hand was on my shoulder and I spun on my heels before I was shoved against the wall of a nearby alley. Or so that was what he wished to do. I wasn't wearing my weights, my body felt light as a feather. Despite the fatigue, I could dance all night long if I wanted to. I flashed my Sharingan on right as I felt the pressure on my right side. I let him spin him, accompanying the move but expanding it instead of finishing it.

I bravely stared at his uneven eyes.

"What was that in front of the Hokage girl?" he asked with a stead voice.

I blinked, cocked my head in the side. Didn't he hear me think out loud? Didn't he read my body language? Didn't he see me mastering my subject? Wasn't he the one who had worked with both my cousin and Brother?

"Could you elaborate, please? I fail to see your troubles at understanding what was happening there, Kakashi-San."

"That, in the room, wasn't Uchiha Yanagi. I know that girl. She hasn't all her head. She wouldn't have been able to plan all this on her own. Either tell me who you are, or who speaks through her mouth."

I deadpanned. Really? Another person who called me a fake? I crossed my arms in front of my chest and chuckled slightly.

"So even the ultimate tracker, the last scion of the Hatake clan finds himself at lost with me?" I taunted him. "Come back to your senses! You're superior to me in every way, except maybe for the extend of our clan's fortune. I fail to see how you lost that I wasn't Uchiha Yanagi. You must have followed me all week, so you must know."

"I didn't follow you. I didn't have to since you were under the Yamanaka clan's protection."

I raised a brow.

"And the Almighty Kakashi is so strong the clans of Konoha bow to him?"

"That! That is what I am talking about! Uchiha Yanagi didn't have such backbone before!"

I shrugged. He may be right. Being sane was far more important before. Now that I was more or less the master of my own mind, though gaps remained, I had the liberty to put all the ideas I always had in place. I wondered how things would have been if I had had the occasion to speak up while my clan was still standing, and if it still stood today. I think I quite like being my own master and making things work. After all I was the only one who kept things working here.

"I grew it." I answered.

"In a week?"

"Well I went on an adventure." I said.

"What sort of adventure, if I may inquire?"

"You may not. You are neither my master, nor a person that I trust Kakashi-San. I do not trust anyone fully in this village."

"Not even Sasuke?"

I scoffed. I turned my dôjutsu off, no need to waste energy in a pointless conversation such as this one.

"I'd be an idiot if I gave any piece of information to that kid. His brains aren't only screwed like mine were, he doesn't think at all. And let's not talk about what to say and not to say, since I'm not good at hiding things."

"You certainly got better by being in the Yamanaka clan."

"Told you, I went in an adventure. And don't ask anything else: I don't trust you. I don't know who you promised to watch over me for, but that doesn't make me likely to trust you. You are wary of me, just like you were wary of my late Brother and my cousin."

"They were exceptional ninjas. Looking down on everything and everyone will never lead you anywhere, Yanagi. In the end you'll just end as a bitter and lonely kunoïchi."

I slightly smiled at him. He was speaking of himself, wasn't he?

"Then I'll try not to follow your example, Kakashi-San. Now I'll get back to my apartment."

I saluted him before walking away again. He was following me. But I won't give him the satisfaction of answering him. I didn't know if Kakashi-San was to be trusted. But for the time being, I was too tired to try anything.

I silently crawled inside the house, checking for traps. If it still amused Sasuke to prevent me for entering, I should be aware of my surrounding. I saw his small form leaning on the corridor's wall, half asleep. His eyes flashed open as soon as I slammed the door. There was an ominous click, as well a smirk tugging his lips.

I moved as soon as the noise came at my ears. Slightly shifting my position, I bend my knees a bit and shot my hand upwards, deftly pinning three kunai by the handle with a senbon. One or two needles were needed to stop the other projectiles coming from other various direction in the room. I caught the last one aiming the back of my head with a simple flick of the hand. My feet were tiptoeing on the floorboard with ease, avoiding any suspicious place. In a fistful of seconds, I was near my little cousin. I threw a Bunshin and casted a Chameleon Cloak illusion around me while I was at it.

Sasuke jerked when I patted his head. He was dumbly looking at the clone.

"You should get to bed little cousin." I said. "Tomorrow's a great day."

Uncharacteristically, he leaned on me, sharing my heat. He draped an arm around me. He was more tactile than usual these times.

"Okaerinasai." He muttered.

"Tadaima." I replied, cupping his head in my hands.

I put my forehead against his. I used to do this after Itachi-Sama flinched his head, as if that simple gesture could ease his pain. We also put our brows against each other, pushing like a pair of idiots, when he and I were arguing when little. It amused our big brothers greatly; after all anger and fear were the only emotions Father had left me when he passed away.

At least there was nothing he could take from me anymore.

I ruffled Sasuke's hair and he pouted.

"Let's get to bed, brat." I said.

"Stop calling me that!" he complained.

"I might when you become a real man." I replied.

He raised a hand. I still was four inches taller than he was. I was really tall for a girl. It didn't matter, because I wasn't your average girl. I was Uchiha Yanagi, last girl of the Uchiha clan and self-proclaimed regent of said clan since nobody did anything to keep our clan afloat.

"One day I'll be taller than you." He said.

"One day, yes. But not tonight. Now let's go to sleep. I have lots of training to do tomorrow."

"You train too much, you know?"

I yawned in answer. I fell on my bed with a sigh of contentment. I was about to sleep when I felt it again. I couldn't tell why, because I didn't sense him, but I had guessed Kakashi-San wasn't the kind to give up after our conversation.

"Can't it wait tomorrow?" I grumbled in my pillow.

I droned to the window and stared outside.

"You're such a stubborn man, you know that? It's not like I'll disappear in a puff of smoke or whatever. What do you want?"

He only crouched on the small overture. There was not enough space for a human being to stand on the windowsill, yet the Jounin seemed perfectly at ease. I noticed the amount of chakra in his feet. I cocked my head to the side. I had learned to jump from high places to high places, but blatantly defying gravity I couldn't do that.

"I'm checking up on you." He said.

"I thought you'd be reassured with what happened before the Hokage. I had allowed your presence for that purpose alone."

"You might be lying."

"I'm a bad liar."

"I thought so. But it seems there are a lot of things I had thought about you that were proven wrong lately."

"So you thought it was a good idea to deprive me of sleep? Only to see if you were right? The Hokage believed me when I said I'd be working for him. I am loyal to Konoha."

"So where your brother and your cousin, and you saw where this led them."

I sighed. Here we were again. I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance.

"Kakashi-San, Brother was a man of peace and I believe he died as one. As for Itachi-Sama…"

"He kill your entire clan, girl. I feel responsible for you. I don't want you ending like your brother because you wanted to ask questions to the wrong person. I worked with Itachi, and I have seen his real face. I knew you want to remain faithful to the memory you have of them, but this world is a twisted one. I don't want you to…"

"Please, don't be a Sasuke number two. I know Itachi-Sama was a complicated person. I know he wronged me in every way possible. Believe me, I know. Itachi-Sama has always been there when I was… That doesn't concern you."

He gestured the inside of the room.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

I raised a brow.

"Oh, so you're asking nicely now? Come in, now that you're here."

I drew back. I heard him shut the window behind him. Sasuke was asleep. Why was I allowing him inside? Why was I letting him ask so many questions? Why did I wanted to show him I felt in the right? He was just… I couldn't say why. He just annoyed me. He had been reluctant to teach me, yet he did. I thought we had no connexion, yet he went to see me in the hospital when I felt wrong. He came to check if I was all right when I was in Ino's body. He even volunteered to interrogate that man for me, even though I had yet to get the information.

"Since you won't allow me to sleep at all, let's have a nice conversation." I said. "I don't know why I should be trusting you at all. You're the one who's always nagging me with this loyalty stuff and all."

"Yet you do." He said.

"Strangely enough I do. Let's have some coffee."

I guided him to the kitchen. He slouched in a chair. What a polite man he was! I put the black power in the pot and let it brew. He took a deep breath behind me.

"I'd like to know more about you." He said. "I want your version of your story. I want to know who you think you really are."

"And you think I'll answer freely? That doesn't seem fair?"

"What is in this world?" he mused.

"True enough." I replied.

I peered outside the room to check the clock. I started counting the seconds in my head. I wondered if I could stand the ticking noise now. The moon was shining bright outside. I still didn't like it, even though she was only white. Black and red nights had been enough to disgust me from this time of the day.

"Fine. Let's say I'll tell you things you don't know about me if you tell me things I don't know about you. Deal?"

"I really think I'm being forced into this… I only agree because you're getting too much on my nerves."

I leaned against the kitchen counter. So? What did he want to ask me about?

"Monday morning, your Bunshin came to school but wasn't detected by anyone there even though you had no body of your own. And then your clone was a Kage Bunshin. Why? You don't know that technique." He said.

"Jiraya-Sama had wanted to meet with me. His summon was a bit rude and I lost control of the technique I was using. He was the one to replace me. Tell me about…"

"Nope! I said I'll be the one to tell you something you don't know. And I'll tell you that I'll turn 26 in three weeks." He interrupted me playfully.

"Very interesting." I commented. "I think I'll learn tons of useful things tonight."

"Another question to you: why did you hide your talents? At the hospital you said you managed to conceal your progress. Why did you do such a thing?"

I silently filled a cup for him and one for me. I sipped mine.

"It's a silly story. But I trust you'll be an understanding man. I was chasing after Brother, always chasing after him. So I tried really hard until I could do blue flames with my Katon Jutsu, something really hard to do. Even Brother couldn't do that. I thought that if I could be as good as Brother, one day Fugaku-Sama would allow me to work alongside him. I wanted it to be a surprise. I thought he would be thrilled at the perspective. So one evening, I asked him to come with me to the pond. Itachi-Sama and Sasuke were there too. I showed them what I could do. Really, it might be the only day when I was a kid that I felt proud of myself, earning kudos from the sons of my clan head. But Brother wasn't pleased. Suddenly he pulled me aside with anger, there was this deep chakra oozing out of him. He asked me if I was showing off."

I remembered the feeling and flinched. **"Are you showing off, Yanagi?"**

"So… When I saw it wasn't working, I thought I should do totally otherwise. He didn't like me being strong. Plus, being strong would bring even more fame to my stepfather and I didn't want that. I only wanted Brother to be happy about that, to be happy about me. So I… I decided that I'd become weak."

"Hmmm, interesting story." Kakashi said. "I wanted to make my father proud too when I was a boy, so I get your feelings."

"I had gathered so much; you're the son of the White Fang after all. Even though he preferred his teammates to his mission, and that what caused his fall."

Kakashi-San visibly crisped his fingers around the cup. He drank the contents in one big gulp just as I was yawning. I barely saw his mouth. He looked handsome. I wondered why he hid it so much.

"You've been reading again; I guess?" he asked.

"Oh no, that I heard from Tekka-San at the Police Station. You were quite the talk of the town for a moment. That makes two questions, give me two answers."

"You're a hard woman to deal with."

"I have to. Give me your silly answers. You expected to tell me who your father was, right? I thought it was unfair you knew so much about me."

"I read the Icha Icha series. It's written by Jiraya." He offered

I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Everyone knows that! The book's in your back pouch, and you're always reading it. And the last part is about someone else."

"Then my favourite vegetable is eggplant. I'm an O blood type."

"An universal donor, eh…"

"Tell me about something else. I want to know of your relationship with Uchiha Itachi?"

"Why? You're still afraid I'll turn my back on Konoha to join him?"

"Just answer the question. Itachi was your age when he left the Village. I thought he was loyal to the village as well, but I was wrong. I want to know what's between the two of you. You seem to respect him very much."

"I do. He is a man of honour; he has always been. He had been there for me when I lost Father, and he supported me again when I lost Brother."

"He killed your Brother."

"You don't know about that." I said with a tight voice.

"The Police Report says…"

"Fuck the report, okay!" I exclaimed. "Itachi-Sama swore he wasn't the murderer, and I believed him."

I hadn't noticed my anger had started bubbling inside of me. I should be careful. Kakashi-San's visible eye half-closed. I braced myself for the shock.

"If he swore to you he didn't kill your clan, would you believe him?" he asked in a cold tone.

I leaned towards Kakashi-San.

"What do you want to prove so badly, Kakashi-San? That I am so faithful of Itachi-Sama, the teenager you trusted yet was such a monster? Don't make me laugh! Since we're confiding secrets to each other, and by the way you're still to give me two pieces of information, I'll tell you what I think. I think Uchiha Itachi has been framed. The man who pierced my lung and killed Uchiha Tekka in front of me certainly was not Uchiha Itachi. If it had been him, if he had truly turned against our clan then I would have been dead."

"I supposed I should believe in the delusions of a traumatized girl, then? Someone who believes a convicted murderer more than the proof her beloved clan gathered?"

"So that's where you wanted to go till the beginning, right? Let's say it makes three information about you. Now I suggest you finish your thoughts, dog." I spat.

His hands went to rest on my neck. His kunai was glinting.

"I could slit your throat with ease."

"Yeah, I guess you could. Sasuke is more likely to be manipulated than I am. Kill me if it pleases you. I'm not afraid to die. Though, I'd appreciate if it didn't happen for the time being."

"Then here's what you should know about me. When I was a boy, not older than you are, I was given that Sharingan by Uchiha Obito as a present. He made me swear to watch over his siblings and his cousins, which I believe I did, even though I couldn't fulfil the other promise he asked of me. I came to know Itachi-San deeper than you think, and that is why I believe there is more to know than the official reports about Shisui's death as well as the fall of your clan. I swore another oath to a great man, the Yondaime Hokage, and I'll remain loyal to the Hokage and the village until I die. However, I can't condone a government that wipes out clans out of a whim because they seemed dangerous. Such is why I wanted to know where your loyalties lay, Uchiha Yanagi. Is that enough information for you?"

I sat down, baffled by what I heard. He believed there was something fishy as well. Just like I did. I would have never guessed. I think he just skyrocketed in my esteem. I felt like apologizing. But not only about my hasty judgement.

"I think I shouldn't have thought so poorly of you, Kakashi-San. You truly are a man of honour, and I apologize for my behaviour. I… will also make apologies about the questions I asked about your eyes the past few weeks. I didn't know it was my half-brother's, I don't remember him for I was born during the Third War, you know?"

I only know what he looked like through Itachi-Sama's memory I had been shown about me. I felt uneasy with all the devotion and the promises people made around me. I didn't feel worthy of it.

"I noticed your unhealthy curiosity about my eye, indeed. Well it's only natural if crows can freely fly with a transplanted Dôjutsu"

"If I asked you about your eye, it's because I remember a Sharingan the night I almost died. It wasn't a normal one, you see? Itachi-Sama had his own marks, just like a shuriken. But this one in his right eye… I knew it couldn't be Itachi-Sama. Plus, the man was too tall; Itachi-Sama wasn't much bigger than I was."

"So you're saying there are several people with Sharingan transplants out there?"

"I don't know… It might just be an impression, but I was thinking that Sharingan had the same chakra as yours. I can't really say since I'm not a sensor, but..."

"I think you're just messing things up. I supposed I was an easy person to blame with the Sharingan."

Yeah, but now there was Danzô. And he looked way more like the culprit not to be him.

I felt angry and powerless. People decided they could take my people's eye just because they were dead. Plenty of corpses, plenty of power lost. It was disgusting. I drank the bitter coffee, didn't get burned.

"I probably am. I have nothing against you, but I know the only way these people got a Sharingan was to steal from the corpses of my clansmen. In the end, I'm useful because of my eyes, aren't I?" I spat.

"What does that make me?" he replied.

"You might be right…"

I sighed, making the remnants of coffee spin in my mug. Back and forth. Back and forth. I was at a loss of words. I had been aware that I was just a pawn to the higher ups. I was just adding value to myself by completing missions and training. I was someone to be kept as long as I had my assets and keep getting some: my clan name and possessions, my eyes, my fighting abilities, the fact I could make Uchiha babies and be wed to other clans… Heh! I knew that, but I kept learning it the hard way. I had thought pretending to be weak would have helped me. But the old coots would never have been fooled by such a petty trick.

And if they had been, they had someone to look inside my head, to check whether I was lying or not.

I clunked my cup hard on the kitchen table, gritting my teeth in anger.

"What should I do?" I asked Kakashi-San. "They came to you as well, right? What did you do to make them loose their grip on you?"

"They never let you go once they have you. They will think of anything that could make you do what they want you to."

"Things never change, do they? They've been doing that in my clan as well." I said.

But now I didn't have Brother nor Itachi-Sama to shield me from the clan. I had no one left.

"But if I don't resist, they'll get to Sasuke." I muttered. "I can't let them touch that kid. It's the least I could do."

I supposed I was trusted enough by Itachi-Sama to take care of his brother. I wouldn't have lasted long if that hadn't been the case. That and he loved his brother way too much. I felt uneasy with that: Itachi-Sama and Sasuke had always been closer than Brother and I had been. I was told it was a natural thing: the Uchiha clan was renowned for his cold demeanour (though I heard some interesting rumours about what happened in an Uchiha bedroom).

"This child seems important to you."

"Why shouldn't he be? We're the last Uchiha remaining."

"There is still Itachi." He remarked. "Sounds like you appreciate him more than his brother."

"Our relationship is different. Sasuke is a playmate and we've survived together. Itachi-Sama is Itachi-Sama."

Kakashi-San chuckled.

"You're getting a bit better at hiding what you don't want to hear." He said.

"What would I be hiding?"

"You're shaper and more criticizing when you're talking about Sasuke. When you talk about Itachi, there really is something big about that. And don't get me talking about your brother."

I looked away. He chuckled again.

"Stop mocking me, Kakashi-San." I grumbled and drank the rest of my coffee. "Another one?"

"With pleasure."

"Here you go."

"So what's the deal with Itachi? We both know he might not hold all the responsibilities for the death of your clansmen."

"Sasuke saw him. I believed he wasn't fooled, even though he fell for Itachi-Sama's Genjutsu. It is certain that he at least killed his parents. That is unacceptable."

"You have a lot of respect for your ancestors and relatives. You're seeing their graves every day."

"You're seeing your dead comrades every day, is that any different?"

I was a bit bitter. I knew he wanted to lead this conversation somewhere, but I couldn't tell where. Kakashi-San raised his empty hands towards me in a calming gesture.

"I'm not saying this is wrong, Yanagi." He said.

"I'm not saying you do." I mumbled.

Danzô had said they held me back. I couldn't forget them. Especially now that I had failed them. How many corpses were looted? I had seen nothing coming. Even in the depths of my grief I shouldn't have lost my awareness. The bodies were desecrated? How could I know the ashes under the tombstones were the right ones?

I felt sick.

"Yet, even though Itachi committed those crimes, even though you can't forgive him, you're still holding a lot of respect for him." Kakashi-San said. "Where does it comes from?"

I looked at the window.

"I don't think we're close enough to talk about these things." I muttered.

"Are you implying we might get closer?" he taunted me.

I shrugged.

"Who knows? You're the one who promised to keep me safe, didn't you? That means I should trust you a little. Your experience was close to mine. It would be foolish to drive you away."

We stayed in silence, watching the day chasing the night away. The clock was ticking. It didn't bother me as much as it did. Kakashi-San asked me how important time was to me. I told him a bit about the time and space relationship in the illusions my clan did. In the end an illusion worked the best in a receptive mind. A mind was more receptive if it was lost. The most important bearings were related to time and space. I told him about the grief and the loose grip I had of reality.

"It's the hardest when you can't count on anything." I said. "I can never be sure of what's real and what's not, I'm always expecting to find things that don't add up."

"You think taking pictures will help for that?"

"It's just a security. If the illusion is in my head, there might be a chance that the picture show me how the reality really is."

"What is reality? If what your senses can be fool, what is real? Is that what you believe? Is that what you build with your own hands?"

"I can't go on thinking that if it's true then it's real. What I think as correct might be false to some others. In the end reality is just the sum of all the viewpoints. If we all think the same, then it is true. But people are willing to believe anything that is said by someone who looks wise or powerful."

"Then what is your reality? What do you see?"

I sighed.

"It's fun, right? My clan prides itself on our eyes. As if we could see anything that happens, even the future. Yet I am blind to this reality. I guess it can be an advantage somehow."

"Is that so?"

"If I can't grip the reality, then no one can use the reality against me."

"That sounds about right. I might prove you wrong, though." He said.

Kakashi-San drank his coffee fast again. I barely saw him. Won't he injure himself someday, hiding his face that way?

"Has anyone got to see your face yet?" I asked.

"Some people did." He reckoned. "You got a glimpse, didn't you? You weren't satisfied with that?"

He stood to reach the coffee pot, filling his cup again. His hip brushed near my shoulder. I moved so he wouldn't touch me at all. He leaned on me on purpose. I felt my face flushing. What was he doing? Silently, he turned to refill my cup, my back resting against his flack jacket. The filling took an awfully long time, caged as a was by his arms. I straightened my back.

He had a thoughtful hum as I sat still, unable to know what to do or what to think.

"You're really weak to this, Yanagi, aren't you?"

"W… What are you…" I stuttered, hardly keeping my cool.

Boys, men and all that jazz. This was something I didn't know. I may have said to Ino I would marry the person I would be ordered to marry, that I saw no interest in dating, there still was these hormones surges. She had briefly talked about that to me, wondering about it. I had felt so free in her body, and now I was trapped in mine.

Kakashi-San put his cup near mine and drew back to put the pot back in its place. I relaxed while he was gone, but I was sure he hadn't finished. Indeed, he was back. I tried to make my hands lay flat on the table. Was I afraid of him? Well I wouldn't call that feeling fear. I guessed there was curiosity and longing in it. Damn puberty! I felt very ashamed.

With slow studied moves, the Jounin took his cup. I could only see a minimum skin when he moved. The moves of his cuffs near his protection gloves hid strips of tanned skin. I knew he was strong. I felt the heat radiating from him. I wouldn't ashamed me more than I was already. Yet I felt my lower abdomen lurch, in these parts I only touched in intimacy. A sensation of pleasure coursed from it, and I felt like I was trembling hard. I felt a shift of skin against my clothes. I was mortified.

I tried to focus on something else. Kakashi-San's hand landed on my shoulder and I jerked savagely, away from him, only to hit his Chuunin vest. I jumped again. He had the nerve to chuckle again. I felt aroused and slightly damp near my nether regions. His nose twitched under his mask. I had never felt so low in my life.

That was enough!

I grabbed a kunai from my pouch to hit him with it. He easily caught my wrist, snaking hour joined arms against our bodies. I was pressed against him with one hand.

"Calm down Yanagi-San, you know I wouldn't hurt you."

"The only one about to get hurt is you." I growled, struggling against him.

"This is yet to be seen."

He reached for his cup. I planted my feet on the ground and managed to make him lose his balance. As soon as he went unsteady I pushed hardly on my legs, shoving him against the wall. I sunk my elbow on his diaphragm to blow the air from his lungs. Guessing that the situation wasn't advantageous to him, he threw us on the ground.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I hissed.

"I'm proving you wrong. See how easily I can reach you with ease? There are many things you can be manipulated into, Yanagi. You can't anticipate everything. So stop thinking you're unattainable, would you?"

I was helplessly pinned to the ground. I struggled. I saw him use a bit of force to immobilize me.

"Okay, I give!" I said. "Now let me go."

"I thought this might be the occasion to work on your grappling techniques. You suck at that, see?"

"I never asked for your help in that domain, you pervert!" I groaned.

A chair clattered near me as I finally managed to free a leg and twist out of his grip. A few seconds later Sasuke jumped in the room, worriedly calling my name. He paused and his eyes widened just like Kakashi-San and I. The position was ambiguous. I was still red in the face, and quite aroused. I couldn't tell anything for the other. He released me as I was about to hit him hardly on his side. I stood in front of the boy. It couldn't be worse.

"Go back to bed, Sasuke. I'm currently busy with your cousin." Kakashi said before I could find my words.

We both glared angrily at the man.

"Sorry for the interruption. I wasn't aware you were doing that sort of things." Sasuke said tightly. "You do realize your position as the last Uchiha woman, right?"

"What? No! Sasuke, I'm not that kind of person. Kakashi-San is… uh… _teaching_ me." I said lamely. "It got a bit out of hand, actually."

The boy's hand shot forward, and he motioned me behind him. It was a bit funny since he was smaller than I was. Kakashi-San seemed to find the situation amusing.

"I don't know who you are, but you look like a high ranked ninja. So I'll be clear with you. I will allow no such behaviour with my cousin."

"She volunteered." Kakashi-san assured.

"I did not! Blame my hormones! And where did you think you could allow of forbid things on my behalf?"

Damn chauvinist shinobi stuck in a patriarchal system!

"I won't have you ruin the reputation of the Uchiha clan by playing with other guys!" he yelled.

"What the…! I don't play with guys!"

"Oh yes you do! Don't play innocent! I saw how that Hyuuga guy looks at you!"

I blinked. Kakashi-San folded his arms, like watching a live show.

"Neji-San? Is there something wrong with my relationship with him?"

"Wrong? Is it me you're asking that? He's totally into you, and you're saying nothing!"

"What do you mean by that?"

Into me? Like physically inside of me? Hum, might be metaphorical? Does that mean he was turning into me? Hum… It was true that he wasn't as annoying as before, since we got to know each other. I had half expected to have us jump at each other's throats but it wasn't the case anymore. Especially since I wasn't using my full abilities against him (we were training under a Taijutsu specialist, so that meant I should use only Taijutsu-aimed techniques if I resorted to Genjutsu or Ninjutsu, and Katon definitely wasn't ideal for full contact). I got it! I snapped my fingers!

"That mean he's becoming more like me, right! It explains why he's nice to be around."

Sasuke deadpanned, and then he gripped my shoulder with a sour face.

"Are you that obnoxious?"

I raised my brows.

"About what?"

"Nope, nothing. Everything is right." He said patting my shoulders with contentment.

I'll never understand that kid. There he was glaring again at Kakashi-San… Who wasn't there anymore. Instead there was a pile of books on the kitchen table with a note that read: "valuable teaching material. Please read it."

"What is that?" Sasuke said. "Where did that man went?"

"Don't look at me that way! I didn't see him leave either." I said, flipping through the books.

I tried not to look at the man hanging on our ceiling. I should ask him how he defy gravity that way. That was a practical skill I'd like to acquire.

"He has even the audacity to leave you with gifts! It's not because he knows you like books that I'll acknowledge him. He looked like he was almost forty!"

The ceiling sneezed with indignation. I disregarded that fact. Sasuke was looking outside by the window and didn't hear the man. I had been lend the first volumes of the _Icha Icha_ series. I heard from Neji-San it was romance. He had had a short look at it at our first team meeting. His face was all red! It was the first time I knew Neji-San was really weak to romance. I'd never known that ice cube had a sensible heart in fact. I read a few lines about a fight between ninjas and a local girl that had been abducted. After he won, the girl accepted to reward her saviour, and she invited her in her room. And then… I shot the book close with a sigh.

"All right. Why porn books?" I asked out loud. "You think it would be educational?"

I glared at the ceiling. I knew about those things, what happens in a bedroom. Did he want me to die with embarrassment? I scowled at him.

"You'd be a terrible teacher!" I told him.

"I'm teaching you." he pointed out. "I thought you liked my teachings."

"I don't call encouraging me to pursue you while being out of me and throwing Genjutsu training. Even though I learned a lot."

"Then that's teaching." He shrugged.

"No way in hell." I said. "Would you like to get your books back?"

"Read them first. You might learn valuable lessons. I did."

"Like sexually assaulting a teenager?"

"Is that what happened? I also call that teaching."

"You might be the only adult who lends a Genin some porn and still calls it teaching."

"Don't worry, your future boyfriends will thank me for that."

He looked at me up and down. I went red again. What was with that attitude? I heard him mutter something about the whole male population of Konoha owing him a big time. And why future boyfriends? I had a lot of male friends already.

"I have a lot of friends who are boys, but it looks like you're talking about something totally different." I said. "Why should they thank you for making me read porn?"

"Are you doing that on purpose? That I-don't-know-what-happens-between-a-boy-and-a-girl attitude?"

"What happens between a boy and a girl? At what point? There are a lot of possibilities. Depends what they are doing in their respective lives, right?"

"You're so innocent I almost feel guilty lending you these books. I wish I'd be nearby the day you connect the dots."

I coked my head on the side, not understanding what he meant. And then he was really gone.

* * *

 _I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)  
_

 _ **Girl-luvs-manga** : Yanagi's my girl of fire and ashes :D_

 _ **RadioPoisoning** : Unfortunately Yanagi will stay oblivous to other's feelings because she can't understand love. As for making think the others are enemies, both Danzo and the Hokage want her to their side. Even though she is young, she will be an excellent ninja, and her clan still owns 1/3 of the Village._

 _ **Duyiil** : Lol for what?_

 _ **elisq** : Why politics? Because it's never very shown in the manga, that's why. I want to write an interesting story, not merely vamp the original plot._

 _ **Leila-Chan** : Thanks for your enthusiam :)_


	19. Indescribable feelings

_So let's get to the point, let's roll another joint_  
 _And let's head on down the road_  
 _There's somewhere I got to go_  
 _And you don't know how it feels_  
 _No, you don't know how it feels to be me_

 _You don't know how it feels , Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers_

 **Chapter 19** : Indescribable feelings

I read the books really fast. In the end Jiraya-Sama really had a good writing style, I was impressed. I wondered how much of the story had been written about his life and how much was imaginary. The fighting techniques, and the strategies were explained quite well. It had been a while since I had an adventure/romance that good. Well it's not that I red fictional books much, since I wanted to learn valuable lessons. But Kakashi-San had called it a valuable teaching material. Somehow it had bugged me, and I had tried to find those lessons in vain in all the light romance and combats.

And there were the other parts with sex.

I knew the theory between the act already. I had read all these books about puberty as soon as I started having all this acne covering my face and all these surges. I also had had a sex ed class where the teacher told us about flowering into women and all that jazz, and why it was important to start consuming the regular medication for kunoïchi. I was asked not to, given that there were a few ingredients I was allergic to in the pill (first time I heard about me being allergic to meds by the way).

But what was in these books was different. The hero was in love with a girl he wanted to notice, and they were childhood friends. But she was too much into her work and only acted friendly with him. So he tried to forget her with other women and work, taking mission after mission, getting involved with a girl after the other. He never loved them for them, but he loved their bodies. And there was so much at stake. I felt uneasy while reading it. So very embarrassed that I had to read it when Sasuke wasn't there. I stayed at home, pretending I was still exhausted after the switch with Ino.

But in reality I was laying on my bed, getting excited about paper women when the hero came at them. He told them silly phrases, rescued them from their enemies. There were so much details in these pages. Too much I thought I would not stop burning from the inside. I found myself looking for some alien satisfaction I couldn't quite place. I wanted to be kissed like these girls on the paper. I wanted to be loved like they were. I wanted it so much. These words echoed with the void inside of me.

I read the books all in one go.

I thought about these words while doing an intensive afternoon training. I wanted to be alone.

There was something I couldn't understand about this. These words were like kunai slicing my very soul. I felt so uneasy. There was definitely something I couldn't understand about these words. So after I came home and saw the three books laying on my bed, I reread them, carefully cramming notes on parchments on the side. Could words make someone sick?

I felt like facing one of these incomprehensible subjects I sometimes stumbled into in the library. These subjects you can't understand without the right state of mind. I annoyed me. I had always prided myself on my ability to analyse the situation. But now I was at a total loss…

I looked outside. Maybe I should…

I bolted out of the apartment, finding my team outside.

"We're leaving tonight." Neji-San said. "I thought we could…"

"Could you come back later? There's someone I have to see." I said fast. "Please excuse me for my rudeness."

I ran even faster. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I didn't understand. I didn't understand and that was so frustrating. And… It hurt so much, my heart, the gap. I hurt. I skidded into a stop near the KIA stone. I was right. Kakashi was there, his back facing me. I handed the books to him.

"You sound distraught." He said turning to face me.

"Take them back! Please!" I heard myself crying.

There were tears rolling on my face, and I didn't understand why. I had never cried before. Not even when I had been swallowed by darkness, not even when I had been surrounded by burial urns. Never. But I was feeling like this after reading these books.

Kakashi-San cocked his head to the side.

"I never thought the _Icha Icha_ series could have such an impact on people. I expected a reaction from your part, but not this one…"

He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and started cleaning my face. My arms were still frozen to give him the books back.

"I don't understand." I said. "I was reading, and…"

"Calm down, Yanagi-San. You don't even have shoes on. Your feet are all hurt."

I hadn't noticed. They were covered by red dust and several wounds were opened, leaking blood.

"Let's sit down near the river and then I'll carry you home." He said. "think you can walk to there?"

I nodded. Immediately we were walking. Now that I was breathing a little more freely (with a sharp pain inside one of my lungs), I felt the wounds on my feet. There was a lot of scraped skin, and some scratches even went up to my knees as I had been running carelessly. We walked to a nearby stream. On my skin, the frozen feeling of water was a bliss and a torture at the same time.

"So you got excited by the books. But when did you start being hysteric?" he asked bluntly.

I went red. How did he know I…?

"A man always knows." He said tapping his nose through his mask.

Damn him being a dog master! I looked away and folded my arms.

"I don't know why I reacted like that." I said. "It's just that…"

I huffed.

"I know I don't understand much about sex and all that jazz. It's like everything that revolves around love and stuff just… went away in that black pitch I have in my head."

"Love's a complicated thing, Yanagi. Some people never understand what it is."

"I _know_ what love is, but I just can't _understand_ it. It's just so alien to me. I know I have feelings for lots of people, for my friends, for my family members… But it's like…"

"How screwed are you?" he huffed.

I kicked my legs in the water.

"No wonder people try to get at you when your mind is so weak."

I laid in the water, covering my eyes from the sun. I felt him near me.

"Are you?" I asked.

"Am I what?"

"Trying to get at me. I don't know what you're looking for."

"Told you, I promised Obito."

"He seems like an important friend to you. You said you didn't want to fail him anymore last night. What had you done that requires your presence near the KIA stone every day since what, it was the third war, twelve years?"

He remained silent.

"I don't think we're close enough to talk about these things." he said after.

"Are you implying we might get closer?" I replied, like he did the night before.

"Do you want to?"

"Aren't we already?" I asked honestly. "I have this strange feeling we understand each other more than most people."

I found myself smiling slightly. Some people won't be happy about that. Starting with Sasuke. And Gai-Sensei.

"Then maybe I'll get to know why these books made you cry. That wasn't my intent when I lend them to you."

"You wanted to get a good laugh at me, didn't you? So there. Laugh."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you."

I sat up and looked at him. His grey eye was watching me.

"Heh? That was surprisingly honest." I said.

"I don't know who you are taking me for girl, but I'm an honest man."

"An honest man wouldn't give porn books to a girl for her to learn."

He chuckled. I looked at the stream that had cleaned my wounds. I got my legs out of the water, blocked them up with my arms, and focused on the thin layer of water. I let chakra ran through it and heated everything up. My skin was reddening as the water evaporated.

"Nice skill." He noted.

"Thanks. Speaking of skills, you stood on my ceiling, and on the windowsill with chakra. How did you do that?"

"You don't know? Even if you control your chakra well enough like that?" he said.

I shook my head. No I didn't. Kakashi-San extended his legs and put them on the stream. He was pushing chakra on the surface. He stood up on the stream. Incredible! Without thinking I flickered my Sharingan on and saw the amount he was using. The chakra output was really low and regular. I put my feet back on the water. They were humming with energy, but I kept it still, like a tiny platform. The ground was wobbly under me. I went down in the water when I tried to get up.

Kakashi-San grabbed my shoulders. I had water up to mid-calf.

"Your flow is irregular and too low for your mass." He explained. "See how you're going up with more chakra now. Stop, that's about the right amount."

He let me go. I made some wobbly steps.

"Does that mean I'll need more chakra if I use my training weights?"

"Exactly!"

"I suppose it's the same thing if I want to walk up to walls, or trees or something?"

"You're correct again."

"And what about sand? Or snow? Or ice? Is it just a change in the amount of chakra used?

"As long as you use the environment to make a sustainable platform, you'll be good, Yanagi. Water is the trickiest, because it's not solid. Sand are kind of the same as water, only easier because a bit solid, though you have to make sure not to melt the snow. As for ice, the problem is that it's slippery. Everything depends on the thickness of it. If it's too thin it'll break and you'll be facing water. If it's thick, you'd have to find the micro asperities so stand still, but you can also use your chakra to glide on it."

I nodded, mentally taking notes on what he was saying. He invited me out of the water and took two rolls of bandages from his back pocket. I dried my feet with chakra again and rested my legs on his, still sitting in the grass. He started bandaging my wounds.

"Now that you've calmed down, mind telling me what distraught you in these books. You're not that ignorant on these matter, and it was a cruel joke I did to you. I should have thought you might have a block about these things, especially considering I am a lot like you."

"Heh! Now you're rambling about useless things." I said. "And I told you, I don't know what it was. It was an alien feeling. I know it wasn't about the sex scenes in it. It's the story itself. It looked a lot personal, and I…"

"It's a lot of Jiraya-Sama's story, but he might have picked some stuff from somewhere else. What of the story? It's a common plot in most novel."

"I don't read that kind of novels. Romance books are too mushy for my taste. I don't like them."

"But you liked the one you read."

"Yes, because it was personal. I really felt sympathy for the main character. I really _understood_ the story somehow. And I can't know why. I mean I don't have any long lost relationship or childhood friend I'm in love with."

"Not even Hyuuga Neji? I thought that was what your little cousin implied. Give me your other leg."

"Outch! Be careful you mongrel! No, Neji-San and I don't have that kind of relationship. I had a hard time with him being my teammate. Still do actually. But I don't have feelings for him."

"I believe you, but maybe he does and it made you think much about the story."

I mulled about that idea. No, that wasn't right. I had felt it had been very personal, something way closer. Something about Brother perhaps? I couldn't say. Brother never told me he had had any love interest. I shook my head.

"I don't know. It just happens when I thought about that. I mean the guy is really dedicated to the girl, even if he had even stronger ideals. The girl is important to him, but it's not the most important thing to him."

"Are you sure we read the same story?" he wondered.

"Don't be like that! I told you what I was thinking like you asked!"

"I'm just asking questions!"

"I tell you that I don't know. I felt that I should give you your books back. Maybe… Maybe there will be a time when I'll need them again."

"You know it's not shameful if you want to have a good time by yourself by reading books…"

I tried to hit him with my other leg but it was impossible. We ended up fighting in a light Taijutsu spar. Well light for him I presumed; I was no match for him. For a while I let go everything that I had in me. I felt like it was cleansing me.

"I think Gai-Sensei was right about you." He said, freeing himself from my arm lock. "You're diligent and you are too hard on yourself. These are good qualities."

"He said that?"

"I'm paraphrasing. There might have been some remarks about having a bunch of youthful students."

I avoided a leg sweep and tried for a punching combo. I barely avoided the palm he threw at my head. It was way harder than I had thought to be against him in Taijutsu: he knew the Uchiha style by heart, and I didn't want to try any moves from the Academy style. It only left me with my guts and my instincts. There was something exciting in this.

"He's always talking about you three when he's with me." Kakashi-San said. "Luckily I got his best student all for myself. That made him quite jealous."

"You're saying it like you're happy about it." I groaned as I was forced to roll out of his way. "I'm nowhere near that good. I just happen to be the top student of my promotion."

"No, Hyuuga Neji is the top student. You're too good to be considered among them. You could have graduated way earlier." He said and he had me hard in the abdomen. "Correct your stance next time if you don't want me to hit you again."

"You're cheating! That was way too fast for me!"

"I didn't know there were rules here. I'm merely having my fun with you. Here, you die again." He pointed out and a kick had me hard in the chest.

"Bastard!" I swore. "Bet you've gotten your information by stealing my files again."

"Oh, no. This one I had when I fucked your little cousin's Sensei."

I went red and stilled. He did what to Iruka-Sensei? His fist landed in my face.

"Got your nose." He mocked playfully. "You can't afford to be distracted by that much."

"Augh!" I moaned, clenching my face and hoping my nose hadn't been broken.

I took a few steps back. My field of vision was spinning. Kakashi-San approached me with concern. He gently put his hands on mine.

"Did I went too far? Here, let me see."

I released my face only to butthead him. I clenched my fists around his collar and threw myself at him to destabilize him. He stumbled back.

"Can't afford to be distracted, heh!" I said.

His hands went to seize my waist as we fell on the ground. Suddenly I felt the cold bite of steel in my inner thigh.

"If I cut here, you bleed to death." He said. "Don't be so hasty to lose your life, girl. But you thought well to take advantage of my chivalrous nature. However…"

He rolled me under him, twisting one of my arms in a painful position. I spat grass and dirt. His hand thrusted his kunai right near my face.

"I could plant this in your neck and you'd be dead as well."

I struggled against his hold.

"You overestimate your capacities, Yanagi. You're always analysing your oppenents and applying the "right amount of power" against them. You do have aces up your sleeve, but you'll still end up dead if they stay there. Or worse. Most men would be more than happy to jump a reckless girl such as yourself."

"I supposed you're not like most men." I said undulating my body, hoping to unclench his grip.

"I don't do little girls." He said, and I felt the insult sinking right into me. "Oh yes, I do know where your pride lies, and how easy it will be to hurt you. Consider yourself as warned: you rarely seize the occasion to learn from your mistakes in this world."

"Just to satisfy my curiosity, why do you consider me as a little girl? Is it my rank? Is it my behaviour? I don't remember showing you anything that would lead you to think of me in such a way."

He let my arm go. I stretched, earning a satisfying creak from my molested shoulder.

"You never showed me anything that can make me consider you as an adult either. You lived things I would never wish to anyone, and you have functioning brains. See that you use these experience and cunning to stay alive."

I frowned. What were we talking about again? The look he landed on me was hard. I flinched under it, but managed not to turn my head away.

"Don't lose your life for looking too soon for your answers, it's better that way." He said.

"You'd expect me to become like you? I know what it means to be crushed with grief and regrets, but I won't have you dictate what I should you. Where did your search for answers led you to? I want to live, Kakashi-San, not merely survive. I want to live, and I want Sasuke to have a good life. To do that, I need to understand what happened, and I need these answers fast. Many things can happen if I don't make the right choices at the right moment."

"I understand your quest, but as I told you last night, our suspicions about what caused the death of your clan members won't change the fact Itachi killed people that night. Going to him as weak as you are now is stupid."

Yet, I had already done that. I had already met him, and he could have killed me. He could have killed me because I was the crazy girl who lived with his so precious little brother. He could have killed me there, and Jiraya-Sama wouldn't have lifted a finger to help me. No one would be able to help me if I ever happen to cross Itachi-Sama. The only person who apparently did that was Shimura Danzô, and I was much more afraid of him than I was of Itachi-Sama.

"I trust him." I merely said. "I thought you wanted to help me, but I was obviously wrong Kakashi-San. I respect the promise you made to my half-brother, and I'll respect it because he accepted to give you one of his eyes. But you won't stop me from walking the path I chose. We're done here."

I walked away, still not wearing any shoes. Kakashi-San slowly picked up the books I had given him back before following me. He swept me off my feet and I found myself being carried like a potato sack.

"Nice speech, Yanagi." He said.

"You're ruining my effect; you know?" I sighed as he carried me back to the village.

"In any case, I have no idea how you expect to meet with Itachi. He's an S-Rank criminal. I don't know many Genin that run into that kind of people with ease. You'll be dead or worse before you can get a glimpse of him."

"I'll manage, don't worry."

"I do worry. That's why I want you to remain a little girl as long as you can, and enjoy it. Soon you'll become a Chuunin, and it will get much easier for the higher-ups to move you as they please. You will never have enough protection."

"Stop treating me like a little girl." I grumbled.

He jumped from roof to roof until he could get me back to my flat. He sat me on the guardrail when we arrived then.

"I'll stop when you prove you're a woman to me." He said with a straight face. "Seek me when you become a Chuunin, and we'll see."

"There's plenty of time before it happens, about four months."

"I can tell the thirteen-year-old girl facing me won't be there anymore. And I don't think we'll get to see each other a lot. We've been seen together, and people know where my loyalties lay. Remember you still have to convince Danzô you're on his side; you promised the Hokage."

"That I did." I nodded.

"Next time I see you, I expect you'll be wearing a green jacket." He said.

He jumped off. Soon after I saw his blurry form disappear. Immediately after I felt other people landing behind me. And there I was trapped with my team asking what I had been doing with Hatake Kakashi, our Sensei's rival. Neji-San inquired about the messy bandages around my legs.

"Forgot my shoes." I said, shrugging.

"You really are something, aren't you?" he said, and I decided I didn't like the gleam in his moon-like eyes.

I followed his gaze to my chest. No, I wasn't wearing my chest binder today, just a normal bra to feel a little bit at ease. I glared at him, crossing my arms before my chest. I could swear the boy was waiting for me to throw myself at him.

"Now that you are all here my youthful students, let's move! We can do a bit of training together before leaving Konoha!"

"Wait a minute, I have to get my gear." I said. "It's already packed, I just have to put my coat and take my bag."

"I believe you need a shower, my youthful student. You've been training hard, I see."

"Nah, just making things clear with Kakashi-San. We've had a long discussion about our respective political views."

I opened the door.

"Make yourself at home if you want to. There's still coffee in the pot, but it's cold, or you can help yourself and take a cup of tea in the cupboard."

"I didn't take you for a politician, Yanagi." Lee-San said. "What kind of training did you do with him?"

"Taijutsu, mostly. We talked quite a bit as well."

"I expect you're not thinking he's better than your Sensei." Gai-Sensei said.

He came close to me as the boys were taking their shoes off. A shudder ran down my back as Gai-Sensei's face changed into a terrifying mask. I trembled before him. He was angry. He was very, very angry. At that moment I couldn't say whether I was more frightened by Kakashi-San's smiling face or Gai-Sensei's stern one. There was smoke coming out of his ears and nostrils. He was going all red.

Then I remembered a man just called me a little girl, and that that man was the rival of the person before me.

"Of course not! He's a horrible person." I said.

"Yanagi-San, you're obvious when you're trying to manipulate me." He said. "You're a bad liar as usual. But you're doing it on purpose here."

"Oh, I'm not trying to manipulate you, Gai-Sensei. I merely know what you'd do when I'll tell you what he's been up to." I said.

"What had that man been doing with my pure useful student?" he grumbled.

"Alas, Sensei I cannot tell you, I've been traumatized by the experience." I said with the most dramatically tone I could afford, quite like the times Naruto-Kun was begging me to train him so he could defeat my evil cousin (he had done it for quite a while when I had been Ino). "I need some time alone. Will you give me a few moments to cool myself down?"

"Of course Yanagi-San, but if you were so kind as to explain everything to me, I'd be grateful to you. I will not anyone lay a hand on my gentle students."

At that moment, Sasuke opened the door as he was coming back to school. He stared at the shoes in the entrance, then at my team.

"Is that other man gone?" he asked.

"Great timing Sasuke." I said. "I was about to tell my team about Kakashi-San."

"Was that his name? That bastard! He had the nerve to come at you… And what's he doing here?"

He pointed at Neji-San. The boy nodded sharply at my cousin. I still had no idea why.

"Little Sasuke, you will tell me what my rival has done to my pure student!" Gai-Sensei ordered.

Sasuke cringed at the "little", and even more at the attitude of my Sensei. It was the first time he was meeting him.

"He tried to sully my cousin last night."

And hell broke up in my kitchen. I was happy I had that camera in my hand. Sasuke was ranting to my Sensei and Neji-San about me being assaulted by the Jounin in our kitchen. Being quite obnoxious to the situation, Lee-San stood next to me.

"You're enjoying yourself, aren't you?" he muttered.

"Of course. Mind taking some pictures for me?" I asked, handing him my camera.

He looked at me, his eyes widening.

"You're… you're trusting me with this? I thought it was your most precious possession… You're always taking pictures with it, even during missions."

"You know, I used to believe I needed it to know what was true and what wasn't. But I was told by someone that reality was the sum of the others viewpoint, all we need is to find that correct guide. If I am to walk the path I want, I don't need petty tricks. All I need is my brains, and a lot of faith."

He beamed at me. I grinned back. His beam twisted a bit.

"I guess I still am not good enough for the smiles, then."

"Well, at least you got the youthful moment. So how do I take the pictures? I just push that button here and it prints itself?"

"You got it! Now you only need to compose your image, and that's the trickiest part. But you learn by practising, so good luck!"

I closed the door of the shower behind me, exhaling a long sigh. I looked at myself in the mirror. Dark rings were under my eyes, and I wished I had slept. Fortunately, I knew how to hold my own without a night of proper rest. I rapidly cleaned the dirt out of me, putting my battle attire on. My hair was definitely growing. I wondered if the curls were nicer than the ones when I was a child. It seemed to be that way, maybe that was because of puberty. I had nothing to clip my hair with, and It wasn't long enough to be tied. I managed to get them off my face with my ninja headband.

Gai-Sensei was gone. I looked questioningly at the boys. I learned our teacher had been gone for a while to make a point to Kakashi-San. Lee-San had taken marvellous pictures. He handed some more discreetly than others. Oh, blackmail material I see. He handed my camera back, and I packed it with my tools. Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. Neji-San informed me the boy had been gone sulking in his room.

"Did Sensei said where our mission would be?" I asked while taking some rice off the cooker. "I'm making onigiri. Want some?"

"Near Uzushio apparently." Neji-San said. "Don't put anything spicy in it and I'll eat it."

"That doesn't help me much." I mused while putting some salmon leftovers in the one I was doing before giving it to him. "Anything in particular Lee-San?"

"I'll take anything you do, Yanagi-San! All food is sacred!" he yelled.

"Here you go!"

"It's good." Neji-San simply said and I nodded. "I didn't know you were good at cooking."

"It's the only thing I have learned to do properly. The rest is edible, according to Sasuke."

"I wouldn't mind you packing a bento for me, or two." He casually said.

"You'd be awfully disappointed. I can't do much, actually. I'm always training, and it seems that even if cooking books exist, we don't really agree."

"Well, we're happy you're feeling better than before. I wonder what youthful things you've done in the Yamanaka clan."

"I met people, talked with others, trained with some… Nothing fancy" I said, shrugging.

"Then it must be fate."

"Don't brought this up, please. You know how these conversation always end."

"Ik ish bwewy goog Yagagi!" Lee-San managed with his full mouth.

"Mikoto-Sama's cooking is legendary. I only managed the onigiri though, and they're not as good as hers were."

Neji-San cleaned his hands as I was putting an onigiri on the side for Gai-Sensei before finishing the rice. I expected Sasuke to know how to use it while I'd be gone. It wasn't that difficult, he should be okay. And he was grown, he could do his own food.

"Anyway, we've been asked to retrieve some scroll near Uzushio, that will be our mission."

"Uzushio? Isn't that the village that fell during the Third War?" I asked.

"That's it." Neji-San confirmed

"I don't remember that from our classes." Lee-San said. "I thought it was the Whirlpool Country who fell under an Iwa's attack, and that is why we have this whirlpool emblem on the custom uniforms."

"Uzushio was the ninja village of this country. The Uzumaki clan came from there. Maybe I'll take a souvenir for Naruto-Kun."

"You're calling that boy Naruto- _Kun_? The whole village hates him, and you would call an orphan boy that way. You call your teammates with a San!" Neji-San hissed.

"He's just a boy, leave him alone! And I quite like him!" I protested. "What is wrong with you! You're a Hyuuga. I'm an Uchiha! It's quite a miracle we managed to make this team work."

"You said we were friends." He said quite sharply. "Doesn't that mean anything to you? And now we're having this last mission together. Who know where you'll be send to after? I asked around. I know there's quite a bit of people who wants you to work for them."

"What is it to you? It's not like I was getting away. We will still see each other between our missions. We can train in the evenings if you'd like. I fear that I won't have any time in the mornings. I can train with Lee-San's as well."

"But it won't be like before." Neji-San said.

I looked at him. I looked at him as if I had never seen him before. He looked like he was begging me to stay with them. My throat went dry to the plead in his moon-like eyes. They reminded me of the night we spend at that inn all those months ago, when we'd barely been Genin for a while. When was it? Last June? Three months ago, when I still despised him, even though I regarded him as a good training buddy. It was so long ago.

Kakashi-San was right. What will happen of me after three or four months under Shimura Danzô's teaching?

I noticed that Lee-San had curiously been gone since he had finished his onigiri, leaving me alone with Neji-San.

"You're right. I won't be like before. For what I want to do, I need to get stronger, and that doesn't often go with better."

"You're already changing; you know? Before, I knew you didn't really like me but, in the Academy we often worked together. Then We were put in the same team and I watched you becoming stronger. We had never fought each other, and you were just a tad better at Taijutsu than the other girls. But just like every subject in school, you bested me very soon."

"I thought… I thought you were underestimating me. I thought you were slowing you moves on purpose."

"I never did. I wanted to have something that would make me better than you. So that one day you'd admire me like I've always admired you."

Damn. I had never thought he had been so jealous of my talents. I was better than him in lots of subjects because I trained a lot to be the best, to finally had a chance to ask the questions I wanted to ask to Itachi-Sama. I hadn't thought of the envy it could cause to my friends.

"Maybe your training regime isn't adapted to you. Maybe if…" I suggested.

"I am not talking about that!"

"Then what are you talking about?"

"About us! About our relationship! I've been… trying for years to get your attention! And when finally, you look at me as a friend, you just go away on you little path, and you leave me behind!"

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't think you wanted to be my rival so much. I know there's history between our clans about rivalry. Is that Gai-Sensei and Kakashi-San inspiring you?"

"I don't want us to be rivals!"

"I thought you wanted recognition from me! I don't know any other way to attain it."

"Really? And what about Sensei's rival and you? What's between you two?"

"Between Kakashi-San and I? Nothing much, just some sort of weird understanding and old promises to be kept." I shrugged. "I don't understand why you're so angry. What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing much? He was almost having sex with you on that kitchen floor! Your bloody cousin saw that! I may not like him much, but I'll trust his words for that matter."

"Well, that was… I don't really know what that was. Kakashi-San is a very strange man, and he has his very own… odd… graphical way… to… teach? He was giving me a lesson because I was overestimating my own strength. As a matter of fact, I did learn. He taught me the same today as well. I guess I am that thick."

I learned that I could die on a whim with people of his strength around, or worse. And that I should get smarter than them.

"Didn't you hear me about you having sex with a man twice your age?"

"Oh come on! He's only 26!"

"And does that makes it any better? He's as old as Sensei! What would have you done if he had taken your virginity?"

"What! He wasn't! Besides he said he was fucking Iruka-Sensei!"

"Who?"

"The guy who teaches our cousins. You know? The young teacher with a scar across his face."

"So you're telling me the man who almost raped you is in fact gay?" he deadpanned.

"Who said anything about raping? We had our clothes on! And any guy who ever thinks of touching me that way will burn like a crisp before he can lay a single finger on me. Why are you drawing back?"

"I don't want to be taken in your pyromaniac fantasies."

"Is that so? Then don't worry: I'll need way more fire than I can produce to burn an ice cube like you. So that's all right! I know I'll be safer near you than near Kakashi-Sensei who beds young Chuunin teachers."

There was a heavy silence after that. A really, thick heavy silence. I could grind my blades against it if I wanted to. Lee-San's voice came from the other room.

"Oy! Are you finished?" he asked.

"Yes, you can stop hiding." I said. "I don't see the point of why, by the way."

"He's obviously giving us time for ourselves."

"Why?"

"Because you're leaving the team, and I have things to say to you I couldn't before. Or rather I told you many years ago, but I never reached you."

I blinked at him. Suddenly I remembered the classroom in my first year at the Academy.

 **Father was still alive, and the Kyuubi had recently attacked the Village. I had stood up to answer a very difficult question of Mizuki-Sensei, and he had wanted to test my limits by showering with other questions. There were angry and bored stares all around me, and that bizarre moon-like eyes who eyed me differently.**

 **When the class was dismissed, I was cleaning my stuff when The Hyuuga approached me from the first time. We had worked together before I remember. I didn't like him. He was too stiff, too cold for my tastes. He was too different from the boys in my clan, so cold and white.**

" **Yanagi-San." He had said. "There is something important I wish to speak with you."**

 **I had raised my brows.**

" **I doubt there is anything you say that will make me pay attention to you." I had answered evenly.**

 **I really didn't like him. He was almost as good as I was, and I found that threatening. Yet, because I was a girl, I would never be able to fight against him. I had to bear this threatening-angry-creepy feel about him and could never do anything about it.**

 **I took my bag and folded my yukata properly before exiting the room. He was trailing behind me. I wish I could find Itachi-San as soon as possible. He had promised to treat me some nikuman if we went to his favourite dango shop first. I was almost out of the room when The Hyuuga grabbed my hand and made me spin.**

 **I freed my hand from his grip and frowned at him, unsure of what was happening. He cleared his voice.**

" **I'm really serious about this Yanagi-San." He said. "Please hear me out."**

 **Then he started talking, and his words sounded like gibberish to me. At the same moment the door behind me slid open and Itachi-Sama entered. The Hyuuga was bowing to me.**

" **Yanagi?" Itachi-Sama called before eying the boy before me. "Am I disturbing you?"**

 **Itachi-Sama's tone was curiously sharp and cold. I didn't understand that. And why was The Hyuuga bowing to me.**

 **"I think he's waiting for an answer." My cousin muttered to me.**

 **"An answer to what? I didn't understand a word of what he was telling me!" I exclaimed.**

 **The Hyuuga's head went up, his eyes were round with stupefaction. His cheeks were slightly red with embarrassment.**

 **"You… You weren't listening?"**

 **"Well…" I started, then I remembered I wanted nothing to do with him. "I did tell you there was nothing you'd say that would make me pay attention to you, did I not?"**

 **"Yes, you did." He said gritting his teeth. "But I'm also serious about you."**

 **"What for? Rivalry?" I asked cocking my head to the side.**

 **"Did you not understand that I…" he started yelling but Itachi-Sama put me behind him.**

 **"I suggest you don't yell at my cousin that way." He muttered. "And I think you should go."**

 **Itachi-Sama's hand was warm around me. I still couldn't feel it. The Hyuuga's eyes were staring harshly on our tied hands.**

 **"So that's how it is…" he muttered and was gone.**

 **I turned to Itachi-Sama.**

 **"What was that?" I asked him.**

 **"Don't worry about that Yanagi. Let's go home now."**

 **Itachi-Sama seemed curiously happier than usual.**

"I remember! You wanted to be my rival since the first year of the Academy!" I said to him. "Only I couldn't acknowledge you at that time."

"You're understanding it wrong! First you hadn't listened to my declaration, and then your cousin arrived and he made me leave!" Neji-San yelled.

"Yes, but now that I know you've been wanting to be my rival for so long…"

"This is not about rivalry!" he said. "If your cousin hadn't been there at that moment, then…"

"Then what?" I asked.

He wasn't clear at all. He took a few steps towards me. His breath was tickling. Why did he need to be so close to talk to me? I walked back, and he advanced again with annoyance in his look. And then I hit the opposite wall and he caged me with his arms. I started feeling insecure.

"What are you doing?" I said with a steady voice.

"What do you think I am doing, Yanagi?" he muttered, and he had dropped the suffix.

We weren't that close for him to… Granted he was my friend, but we hadn't the same relationship I had with Tenten or Ino. I pushed him back but he held on. Did he really want me to use my strength against him?

"I don't know and you're seriously freaking me out!" I groaned. "Back-off!"

"I'm starting to have enough of your little game Yanagi! You're doing that on purpose, and I won't stand that anymore."

"Seriously, I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Then the door opened at the same time as the window did.

"Are you finished now?" Lee-San asked.

"You bastard! Hands off my cousin!" Sasuke yelled.

"Dynamic entry!" Sensei shouted.

And hell broke loose.

* * *

 _Hey guys! I recieved a lot of lovely reviws from all of you, so thanks a lot!  
_

 _ **Lumiax** : Yeah, Kakashi and Yanagi together make a good mix, especially with her being that oblivious_

 _ **Radiopoisoning** : Yanagi and her team are 13, Sasuke and his promotion are 11, Kakashi and Gai are 26 and Itachi is 17._

 _ **Guest** : You bet Sasuke is content with Yanagi's innocence. He's very protective of her._

 _ **Songfern1128** : Yeah, Yanagi is half Kakashi's age, but I don't think he cares much :D And if you ask him, he'll say he was only teaching. Poor Team 7._

 _ **FallenAngel231312** : What is sad? The fact Yanagi can't understand love?_

 _ **Leia-Chan** : You get the main stuff. Kakashi's a perv (everyone know it), and Sasuke was cute when he was little (and then puberty came)_

 _ **fuchsdeifeswuid** : (seriously it's hard not butchering all your names) Thanks for your support :)_

 _ **Girl-luvs-manga** : Before Yanagi gets a clue, I think you'll have to wait until the Chuunin exam. After that she'll still have difficulties with flirting._

 _By the way, I don't think this story will be a YanagixNeji._

 _Just keep reading, just keep reading, just keep reading, reading, reading..._

 _And don't forget to review :)_


	20. Inner Convictions

_Under the surface we're not machines_  
 _Under the surface we're living dreams_  
 _Death lives just one breath away_  
 _Somewhere my heart beats in silence_  
 _I made my way through the violence_  
 _Nobody lives forever_  
 _Under the surface we're not machines_  
 _Under the surface we're living dreams_  
 _Death lives just one breath away_

 _Expiration Date , Fear Factory_

 **Chapter 20** : Inner convictions

"Why are your cousins always in the way?" Neji-San sulked all the way.

Neji-San wasn't someone to sulk. As usual he was cold and said nothing. But whenever I was near him, it happened. He started talking to me. I didn't want to answer him. I wanted to stay focused. And Lee-San was always leaving time for the two of us, running forward with Gai-Sensei with I don't know what stupid challenge again.

"Stop talking to me."

"Listen, I'm sorry about what happened in your apartment. I should have taken things more slowly. But you're so _dense_ I'm losing all my patience. Sometimes I wonder if you're not doing it on purpose."

"Doing what on purpose?" I sighed.

"That! That ignorance about my feelings."

"Okay, I get it. You don't want me to ignore you since I'll be in another team. But I won't, I swear! I spend good times with you guys since the Academy, I remember now."

"Yes, but you still know nothing."

"I know everything. Try me." I gloated.

"You're a living encyclopaedia, I get it. But it's not what I like about you. I…"

"Damn, these two idiots are leaving us behind. Hurry up slow poke!"

I ran faster.

It was actually my first time to another country.

I think the most shocking is the advance in technology. Or rather the differences. I mean there are differences due to the wealth of the country, and the urbanised parts and all. But there was a huge difference. In Konoha we had phones lines and some local television channels, but that was about all. All our lives revolved around clan traditions and ninja lifestyle. Because most of the population had chakra, there was a lot of the creations that had been created with seals.

Seals were mostly military secrets, and a lot could be done with them. Civilians didn't have access to seals, so they compensated with technology. What good was technology for ninjas when we had seemingly magic powers? I mean, we spend most of our lives preparing to kill each other. But making lives easier or better, too few knew how to do.

At best ninjas knew how to patch things up, so they could be sold over and over again.

But far inside the Fire Country, where the civilian ruled, there was technology everywhere. I swear I had seen things we hadn't near Konoha. First there were the railroads where they could transport so much (okay we could compensate with storage seals, and we could go anywhere we wanted to, but still). There was also this impressive computer system or whatever where they could store so much data! I mean, we were still working on scrolls and ink where they were calculating tons of things in a fistful of seconds.

"Why don't we buy these things in Konoha?" I asked Gai-Sensei.

"Because they could represent a risk."

"To Konoha, everything that comes from the outside is a risk." I grumbled unhappily.

"Yanagi, that's the very principle of a _Hidden_ village." Neji-San mocked.

"Yeah, like we're hiding so well with all the expansion in Konoha. Either we grow or reject people outside. And with the Chuunin exams there are even more exchanges with other villages and countries. So tell me about secrecy." I ranted.

"Well the clans are managing everything in town, remember? Clans mean traditions." Lee-San reminded me. "Civilian families have to fill forms that goes through the administration to import stuff. And don't get me speaking about merchants."

"Oh, yes, your mother's family are merchants, aren't they?" I said. "Still, I think we could beneficiate much from all these advances. Even if I don't need all of this, I'm sure there's a demand for this. Think of what could be done if we had these computer machines in the library."

Actually I represented the Uchiha clan, as well as one third of Konoha. I could make some demands about technologies, couldn't I?

"And you're speaking about books again…" Gai-Sensei sighed. "That's so youthless of you, Yanagi! You only need physical training to be happy!"

I rolled my eyes. Sure thing…

Neji-San was staring at me weirdly again. I gritted my teeth. It made me feel… uneasy. I didn't have a better term for this emotion. I decided to focus on the mission again.

Technology had spread a lot in all the civilian areas, well most in rich countries, where the lords were thinking about their people and not merely accumulating wealth. In all of this Uzushio was a real ovni. For real.

Because in Whirpool country lived a clan specialized in making their own seals. Like the biggest and coolest thing that existed (and probably the only skill that still made a respectable person of Jiraya-Sama). This clan had made tremendous efforts in bettering their country, all their onsen and all the cities with seals. Most of them were unknown to most people. Most of them had been lost during the war.

The Third Ninja War had been a pretext for the Countries that were enemies to Konoha, especially Iwa and Kumo (until Kiri stabbed its ally in the back), to try and steal all the secrets of the Uzumaki clan. It only resulted on the death of the most knowledgeable people. The non-ninja Uzumaki flew everywhere, and settled in the neighbourhood countries. But in the end most of the knowledge disappeared.

But Jiraya-Sama had been convinced of the existence of old scrolls still remaining in that country, but was never able to find them. Until bandits raided a few villages and got some of these scrolls they sold in the black market. The Sannin had been contacted through his spying network about a particular scroll that talked about blood wards. It wasn't something unknown to Konoha's clans, maybe they traded some goods to have some protections of that kind built for them. There was a real value into obtaining this particular scroll.

The mission was simple: beating these bandits, getting the scroll back to Konoha.

I intended to get every other scroll for my personal use. And if I found myself unable to read them, I could still sell them myself.

Maybe I'll learn more about seals one day. It was part of the things I wanted to learn but never could.

As we passed the border, the sky darkened. It would rain tonight.

"We should take cover." I suggested. "I don't want to walk soaked."

"Actually Jiraya-Sama gave us a meeting point." Gai-Sensei explained and gestured towards the map Neji-San had in his hands.

I cocked my head on the side and get closer to my teammate, Lee-San following me.

"We have to go inside Grass country though this road, and meet Jiraya-Sama here."

"Isn't it near the Kannabi bridge?" Lee-San remarked.

"Exact my knowledgeable student!" Gai-San beamed.

"There was a great mission where the Yondaime played a big role, right?" I said. "He destroyed the bridge with his team so Iwa's supplies would be cut. Kakashi-San took part in these mission. I hear it's when he get his Sharingan."

"You've been researching about Kakashi-San, haven't you?" Lee-San said. "You'd know all his flaws and tell Sensei?"

At that I clearly saw Gai-Sensei and Neji-San twitch. Why would they want to know about Kakashi-San's flaws? I had no idea what they could be; that man probably wasn't human. And if I had found these information, I wouldn't have told them. Information was power, and I needed as much power as I could get. After all, Kakashi-Sensei may be working towards the same goal I did, but he was a real pain. He was too smart for my taste, and I wasn't gifted enough to understand what he thought.

"Doesn't Gai-Sensei already knows about Kakashi-San's defaults?" Neji-san asked, breaking my line of thoughts. "If you're at 50 victories against 49, you've got to know stuff about him."

"Of course I know his defaults, and I overcame them! Because I'm the Green Beast of Konoha, and he is my fated rival!"

"The Green Beast of Konoha?" I repeated. "That doesn't ring any bell."

Sensei suddenly seemed crushed.

"The library talks more about Kakashi than they talk of me…"

He sounded depressed.

"There isn't much information about him, only that he is the man who copied tons of techniques. I'm sure your Databook pages are more impressive than his." I said, trying to cheer him up.

"You… you really think so?" he muttered.

I nodded.

"Sensei does things I never seen anyone else do." I said.

Yeah, like freaking training, or wearing an ugly training suit. Or training his students to death with exercises that defies the limits of normal human beings. Or smiling like an idiot with gleaming teeth. Or… Or…

Suddenly he crushed me against his chest. Rivers of tears were pooling out of his eyes. I struggled against his bear-like hug.

"Yanagi, you're my cutest student ever!" he cried.

"All right, all right! Just let me down!" I complained.

"Sensei! I want to do a youthful hug as well!"

"Then come here all of you!" he shouted.

I started trembling. Then the air around me trembled as well, and the chakra inside of it. No. One. Was. Touching. Me. Not even my Sensei. Not even my teammates. Not even my friends. I didn't like that! If I wasn't the one to make that move it…

Lee-San hit the back of my head.

"Stop complaining and enjoy the moment, silly Yanagi."

I looked away, my face reddening. I opened my mouth to deny all that warmth feeling that was crawling inside of me.

"And before you say anything, yes you're cute." Neji-San confirmed.

I pouted.

"You're all jerks." I whispered against Sensei's vest. "You're playing fools during a mission. That's not how we should act according to the Ninja guidelines."

When he finally released us, I got to see the map. We weren't too far from the rendezvous point after all. A few drops of water fell from the sky, sipping under my collar. I jerked while making a face. It made the boys laugh.

It was raining cats and dogs when we arrived at the inn. I hoped their private bath were free.

"Hello!" Sensei saluted the clerk at the desk, while I handed Neji a towel from my bag so he could dry his hair a little. "Someone made a reservation for our team."

He handed the man a parchment. The other read it and nodded.

"Of course. A room is available for you as well as a full-course meal."

"Yatta!" Lee-San yelled.

I glanced at Neji-San as our teammate ran to the room that had been reserved for us.

"And are your baths available?" I asked the clerk.

"We only have one inner bath, so it's a mixed one." He said. "It won't be a problem since you're all boys, right?"

I looked at my chest flattened by the chest binder. That was the plan to look like a boy and never be bothered by my status as a woman during the missions.

"Then I'll go after them by myself." I announced.

"You're sure you don't want to go with us?" Neji-San muttered with a weird tone.

"Are you trying to imply something?" I asked, frowning. "I just can't place the allusion you're making. Anyway, I want to bathe alone. For now, let's eat by ourselves."

The meal was sumptuous. There were different eat and fishes and a tone of rice. It was delicious! I tried not to eat too much. And of course our client was there. The white-haired ninja looked at me sharply. Maybe it was because of me we were given this mission after all. Everyone talked of small things while eating. I couldn't keep my eyes from the Sannin. I felt observed by him, like he was detailing me. Neji-San had remarked that as well, and it kept both of us on our guards. Lee-San and Gai-Sensei were eating everything they could.

Then two maids came to clear the table and left us. I frowned at the old man who kept glancing at them with envy. I was suddenly reminded of his books, and something clicked in my mind. He wanted to have sex with these women, and he didn't hide it from us. I felt embarrassed. I clenched fists and teeth to shut me up.

"Here's what we're going to do." He said while rolling out a map on the table. "We're going to need two teams for this operation. One will be looking for the bandits, and the other one will be checking the nearby villages for the remaining scrolls."

"Will you help us in this task?" Gai-Sensei asked. "There might still be active seals in the villages."

"Of course, but I won't go alone. I want to take Uchiha Yanagi with me. Her Sharingan will be useful to detect chakra emanation."

"Neji-San would be more useful than me in that fashion." I remarked. "Sharingan _can_ detect chakra, but it's not its primary function."

Jiraya-San looked straight at me and I felt a shudder coursing along my back. He wanted to talk with me; the kind of long talk I was sure not to like.

"Actually it might be good to have the two of you working without her." Gai-Sensei remarked.

"But Gai-Sensei! It's our last mission together." Lee-San protested.

"Yes, we should send Lee with Jiraya-Sama." Neji-San said coldly.

"You know, that might be the exact reason why I'm the one separated from you." I suggested.

Gai-Sensei had a slight huff, his shoulders went down a bit. Jiraya-Sensei nodded at me and he sipped another cup of sake.

"Neji, Lee, both of you are making lots of efforts when Yanagi is around. But you stop that when she isn't there. I understand you want to ease things for her, but this is neither good for her, nor for you. You have strong bonds with her, but not between you."

I looked away, embarrassed by them.

"But Yanagi has made lots of friends! There's the beautiful Sakura-San, and Naruto-Kun, and Ino-San…" Lee-San started counting and the shadow of a smile blossomed on my face.

"But now you have to accept and let her go, kids." Jiraya-San said. "Keeping the same team you have made when you were Genin is very rare, especially with two members of great clans of Konoha. You three were lucky to be in the elite teams and not in the Genin Corpse."

"I still don't understand why they couldn't make us take the Chuunin test together. That's because Lee is slowing us down, isn't it?"

"Neji!" Lee-San shouted.

There was a brief glance between the two adults. I hadn't been looking at them, more focused on the boy's quarrel. We should have made more team building. There would be no cohesion between them, even with Tenten there. She would probably live a…

Shuriken! My hand shot by itself to stop the one aimed at me. The projectiles weren't making any sound, and the two men hadn't warned us with any chakra surge. A mild assassination technique after all. But neither Neji-San nor Lee-San had seen them. I flattened myself on the floor and shot a senbon when the three holes were aligned. They only moved when the weapons collided.

"Wha…" Neji-San started, looking at the shuriken spinning around my senbon.

I had immediately rolled backwards and was already on my feet, a hand blocking the fist Jiraya-Sama had landed in my direction. Had almost no time to deflect the other two shuriken aiming at my teammates before the man kicked my legs. I jumped backwards, unable to do any fire Jutsu to counter him, and was forced into a cross-block with my arms in front of my face.

Kakashi-San said keeping aces up my sleeve and not using them was stupid.

I did the smart thing: my Sharingan spun in my eyes. Immediately after the old man went a lot faster. I had to pay attention to the gap. My eyes anticipated his moves even better since I had trained myself to rely on observing the muscles twitches without my dôjutsu help. I needed to keep him away from me. Either I escaped the room, or I found a weapon to do so.

My katana was leaning against the wall.

We were dancing around the room. He was preventing me from taking my weapon without looking in my eyes. I was trying to get it while evading his fists. I felt so light without my training weights, moving around like a fluttering butterfly. My elbow suddenly flew near him and I tok a few steps to get behind him. He didn't let me. My feet whooshed near his face, an invisible wave of chakra coursing through it. He frowned at my aim, since it wasn't a feint and he didn't have to avoid it. Then the Genjutsu struck him, and I added a second layer, then a third. It took him a mere second to free himself from the last one. It was short, but it was enough time for me to threaten his femoral artery with a kunai.

"If I cut here you bleed to death." I quoted Kakashi-Sensei.

"I wasn't being serious." He said.

"I wasn't too serious either. But it wasn't the point, wasn't it?"

I put my kunai back into my holster and sat down. A fistful of seconds had only passed since we had engaged in this Taijutsu match, and I was sweating buckets. My joints were hurting me, but I didn't show it. There was only the look on the boy's eyes that mattered.

"What was that?" Neji-San muttered.

"That was Yanagi using almost all her resources in a hand-to-hand spar." Gai-Sensei said. "I'd say she's about Chuunin level."

"I'd say the same. You're better than I expected."

And we still hadn't had this long talk he wanted us to have. Well I guess I'd only have to wait until we go together on our part of the mission.

"Neither of you have the level to compete with her. She's been a Gennin for four months, just like you were, and she's already that advanced. Plus, there's no team cohesion without her. You understand what the problem is?"

"But I thout we were the elite teams… The only three teams to get a Jounin Sensei on our promotion…" Lee-San muttered.

"Which means you're really good in your specialty and got the adapted Sensei." Jiraya-Sama explained. "Gai is specialised in physical training. But if Yanagi is good at Taijutsu, she has other assets she had honed."

"Actually I'd have thought they put me in a Ninjutsu or a Genjutsu team, since I excel in that." I reckoned. "But being in a Taijutsu-focused team helped me a lot. Besides I was the only person who could bear with this two for so long."

"Yanagi, you're so great!" Lee-San yelled while attempting a bear-hug.

I avoided him.

"Now I'm fired up! I won't stop training until I beat you!" he said with inspiration.

"I concur. Yanagi is really impressive."

"Guys, I'm just training a lot, that's all." I mumbled. "There's no need to put me on a pedestal. I bet you'll be as strong as I am in no time."

"If you say so…" Jiraya-Sama singsonged. "As I was saying earlier, I'll take Yanagi for the investigations. I trust you know a bit about tracking from your clan."

"Just a bit, I hadn't had much time to learn from them." I muttered drily.

"Gai, you take your other students to find the bandits and get their treasure back." Jiraya-Sama said. "Now, I'd like to talk with Yanagi for a while."

I frowned.

"Shouldn't you be talking to Sensei?" I asked. "He's the other team's leader. We can do the rest during the investigation."

His brown eyes went hard on me again and I shuddered. Neji-San squared his shoulders and moved forward as if he could shield me. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Didn't he just see I was stronger than him? Or was he just an idiot in trying to confront Jiraya-Sama? No, there was definitely something fishy about that story.

In the end, the three of them went for a bath inside the inn. Jiraya-Sama ordered tea for us.

"Is green tea all right?"

"I prefer black tea." I replied. "What do you want from me?"

"Our common friend asked me to look after you, since I had made him aware of your existence. Don't frown, I'm merely quoting him."

"He didn't say anything about his brother?"

"Well he did give me a letter."

There was a pause.

"And?"

"I want to see some things with you before giving it."

"What do you want in the end?"

"Back when you were in that Yamanaka girl, you weren't exactly _sane_. And I learned Danzô is really interested in you."

"That doesn't concern you. This is my personal business."

"Actually it does. Danzô is both an asset and a liability to our government, I trust you already know that. Given the fact you've given the Hokage some pretty ideas for the future of Konoha, I don't want to see you wasted because of that man."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Please don't be another Kakashi-San…

"Great, another idealist." I sighed. "Well, you work with Itachi-Sama, so I shouldn't be surprised. Did he asked you to watch over me, or are you acting on your behalf?"

"A bit of both, a bit of both… Actually I'd rather go against Itachi's recommendations about you, but only if you think you can do it."

"And what did my cousin recommended? A few weeks ago he thought I was a fake, and that the real Uchiha Yanagi was dead and buried alongside the other members of our clan. I haven't seen him for years, so why should he bother now?"

"Because he cares? Listen, he put his reasons on this letter."

"But you won't give the letter until I say yes to your proposition, right?" I answered unimpressed. "If I want to talk to him, I'll talk to him directly. If you want to do business with me, you talk to me. You don't have to ask for his permission."

"He still is the heir of your clan."

I showed myself with my thumb.

"And I'm the one who manages my clan for now. In terms of business with the Uchiha clan, you go through me."

"… he didn't tell me you were hard at business."

"Last time Itachi-Sama saw me, I was 10. I grew up a lot."

"That too… I don't think he had expected you to be that tall. If I hadn't known better, I'd have thought you were a boy. But you're well-endowed, aren't you?"

He made a cupping gesture. My cup of tea creaked under my fingers. I couldn't help shaking. He was half drunk I could see that. But even in that state I would never be able to save my honour. But… Oh, I think I had a very nice idea for my revenge, but I would need a bit of time to put my plan into motion.

"By the way he really liked the picture I took of you."

I spat tea everywhere.

"You did what?" I coughed.

"Don't be too dramatic. Better think of it as an help to your relationship with Itachi." He winked at me while handing me a handkerchief.

"What relationship with Itachi-Sama?" I asked after wiping the tea from my face.

"What? Don't tell me there's nothing between the two of you? I'd be so disappointing."

"Nothing like what? He's just my cousin, that's all. What relationship would you think we have? I haven't seen him in four years and he was lead to believe another girl was me. I don't get where you want to go with your questions."

"I would have thought otherwise. Itachi cares a lot about you. I mean, he did received information about you for four years and cared about you. To him you were like treated for your traumas in an area far from the village, taken hostage by…"

"I stop your novelization right here. If he did care that much, then he would have rescued the girl sooner and taken an interest in the real me sooner. And he wouldn't have gone to me if I hadn't been in the body of the girl you've abducted."

"Okay, tell yourself what you want. I'm only telling you how he reacted about you after he discovered everything was a lie. He was obsessive. I want to know what is so important about you? You're good, and you're the last Uchiha woman. But knowing Itachi, it isn't enough."

"Why are you asking so much questions about Itachi-Sama anyway?"

"Because I care about him kid. We both share the same dream for peace."

I remained silent for a while. Then I looked at the window and sighed.

"You care about him, you say? I guess he needs the help if you're offering it, but… He still killed people that night. Not everyone, I know. But he was there, I'm sure of it."

I looked at Jiraya-Sama.

"You asked what relationship there was between us? Well I can't answer that question. I don't have the words for the bond that tie me to Itachi-Sama. I trust him. I trust him despite all the proofs against him. I trust him despite all the people that pledge him guilty. I just…"

I looked at my powerless hands.

"Itachi-Sama had always been there for me when I needed someone. And when he had needed someone, I had been there. I don't know what is between us, but it's a strong bond. Now I need answers from him so that…"

"You want to be sure wasn't misplaced, right."

I nodded, still not looking at him.

"What if you learn he's not a good person? What will you do?" he asked then.

"I don't know. I've always been told to protect the clan, and to protect the village. But they gave nothing to me in return. Everyone is just… waiting for me to get stronger and get useful. But that's not what I wanna be. I don't want to be a simple pawn in that. I want to have the choice. Itachi-Sama works for the peace of this world, or at least this is what I want to believe, because he always saw me for who I was, not for who people wanted me to become. It took me a long time, but I managed to look at him in that fashion; to see the person behind the ninja."

Suddenly a large hand was ruffling my bangs. I immediately drew back, before letting him pet me.

"You're just like a wild cat, aren't you?" Jiraya-Sama said. "I thought you were some kind of crazy girl, but in the end you're a good kid, right?"

"I… won't blame you for the crazy part. I lived four years with a Genjutsu that didn't stop and where I was dying. And I resented Itachi-Sama a bit. Because even if he was always there to support me, even if he was protecting me, it was nice to have someone to blame for every of my problems."

"I should let you calm down before giving you that letter." He grumbled. "You're a troublesome kid, you know?"

"Wait until you meet Itachi-Sama's brother and we'll talk about being troublesome again."

"What? He's crazy too? He didn't look like this when I spied you."

"He just has fits of murderous rampage about his brother. He just can't understand the trust I have for him. Neither do I for that matter."

The door opened to my teammates wearing plain yukata. Their black hair was sticking to their bodies. Neji-San's bangs cascading on his shoulders. They looked curiously attractive, and I tried to conceal my hormones spike. I couldn't be attracted to them; they were my teammates! But the look I had on Lee-San's buffed chest and Neji-San chiselled one… I gulped nervously. Damn hormones! That was bad!

"It felt youthful!" Gai-Sensei beamed as he entered the room.

The sight of his open yukata gave a nice view on his fundoshi. I felt sick.

"Gai-Sensei!" I complained covering my eyes.

"Teenagers!" Jiraya-Sensei chuckled behind me.

I quickly ran to the inner bath to soak myself and forget everything that I saw.

* * *

 _I'm definitely struggling with all these conviction speeches with Yanagi. I should put more action in these seriously...  
_

 _Anyway I had a lot of reaction about the last chapters so thank you!_

 _ **Radiopoisoning** : Yeah, Neji will be cockblocked forever._

 _ **Songfern1128** : Yanagi is really dense in terms of flirt and everything. But Neji doesn't want her babies, I thing getting in her pants is good enough for him. You want Kakashi to be sexually inactive? It would be no fun!_

 _ **Pcrafter** : 3 love interests? Nahhh, the only real love interest would be Neji and Yanagi isn't interested. Kakashi isn't interested in Yanagi as a woman, since he is twice her age (he calls her "girl" for a reason). And Sasuke considers her as a convenient way to continue the Uchiha clan, but he hasn't thought about the fact that she might be against it (But wait until puberty really hits him)._

 _ **Leila-Chan** : One of your suggestions was the correct one :) There will be an arc about these two in the future._

 _And now all the answers to the anonymous questions._

 _Is Kakashi gay?_

 _He's the one who said to Yanagi he was fucking Iruka. So he might be lying. Is he really making a move on Yanagi when he's gay? I don't think so. For now I won't say whether he's really interested in a gender, another or both :P_

 _Will there be a kiss between Neji and Yanagi?_

 _I have no idea. Seriously, if Neji wanted a kiss he would have to force Yanagi, since she won't understand his intentions. But you still can suggest ideas for him, since I don't think he will ever try violence on her, even if he gets too impatient._

 _What will be Sasuke, Neji and Gai's reaction when they learn what kind of books Kakashi lend Yanagi?_

 _I think I'll have Sasuke discover that when Kakashi becomes his Jounin Sensei (I can't wait for that to happen). As for the other two I haven't decided yet. I think Gai-Sensei already knows but won't make too much of a fuss about that. As for Neji... He could have a nosebleed indeed, but that would imply he read the boook as well and not only some passages from above Kakashi's shoulder._

 _In Itachi's flashback, was he really that protective of her or does he have other feelings as well?_

 _It might spoil the fun if I answer that question :P_

 _That's all folks! Don't forget to leave a review :)_


	21. The Iwa Ninja

_"Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love." Mahatma Gandhi_

 **Chapter 21** : The Iwa ninja

Completely flustered, I took off my kimono with fast moves. The rough material was showing signs of weariness under my fingers. I stayed a little thoughtful before the clan embroidery in my collar. Did it really have a signification now that everyone was gone?

I thought about Itachi-Sama. Apart from our brief encounter, we hadn't seen each other for four years. He had been there when I had been down. I couldn't tell if I resented or thanked him for his presence. The thing is that he was always trying to reach me with his warmth and I had never felt it. I just wanted to get the feelings Father was gone with, I just wanted to get close to Brother. Itachi-Sama had never been in that equation.

I looked at my hands. I had done a silly promise the day he asked about my trust. Pinkie promise. That and all the reflection that came with it. It opened something in me. Something I hadn't been aware of. Something that tied me to the man who destroyed my clan. Or did he? Blind trust and doubts. That's what he left me.

Because he left. And I still trusted him.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

"You're an idiot." I said my reflection, and I was aware at that moment of my resemblance with Sasuke.

Same hair and eye colour, same silhouette but taller in my case. But I also looked like Brother and Father. I looked at the red pendant between my breasts. Father had offered it to Mother… no my mother, I accepted the fact that she was dead. So Father had offered it to my mother when she became his fiancée, sometime after his first wife died. Once, when he had been calm enough after a good smoke, he told me he didn't love his first wife. Like most of the marriages in the clan, his first bride had been chosen with the right lineage. It was only after she died during a mission that he courted and married the woman he loved.

He resented me for killing the woman he loved. Kami exchanged my life with hers, and Father thought he was fooled. This garnet around my neck was the proof of their love. Wearing it gave me a false feeling of being loved by them.

"Not only are you an idiot, but a despicable girl with that." I spat to my reflection.

Then I silently folded my clothes in a locker and wrapped a towel against my naked body. There were samples of white soap near the sliding door. I picked one and entered the bath. White fog welcomed me. I was alone in the room. Great, I could leave the towel for later. I scrubbed my skin hard just to forget how deep I disliked myself, how weak I was to let my hormones best me, how screwed my life was. I threw a full bucket of cold water on my head to clear my mind and shivered.

Then I soaked myself in the hot water. Everything smelled like cheap soap: clean and somewhat irritating. My hands were playing with the golden chain around my neck.

So now where was I? Neji-San was acting weirdly around me, worse than ordinary. Now Lee-San wanted to be my rival as well. Maybe I shouldn't have played the game that old man had wanted me to. Speaking of him, I still couldn't place it. I didn't like Jiraya-Sama because of his foolish tendencies, but his other activities as a spy made him a dangerous man (he told me that himself, why? Did it have a link with our conversation about my relationship with Itachi-Sama?). Kakashi-San was working with me in order to find who was or were responsible for the massacre of my clan. There was also Danzô who was apparently protecting the village (I had no idea why he thought that), wanted me in his ranks and had fooled Itachi-Sama with fake pictures of myself.

So Danzô fooled Itachi-Sama with fake pictures of me, making him believe I was at another place and injured. The pictures were sent to my cousin by a certain path and a certain purpose. So did Itachi-Sama looked for them, or were they send to him by someone? All together or one by one? At what time? If they had been sent one by one, why didn't he came to see the fake sooner? Was he injured, or too busy? But if they had been sent at the same time, it explained why he didn't come sooner. Then if he learned I was alive, why did he send Jiraya-Sama to observe me?

If I recalled well, Jiraya-Sama arrived a few days before I switched my mind with Ino's. Which left a few days before her body was abducted. I'm not sure about that, but I think the pictures came first. So Itachi-Sama looked for her, believing she was me. That meant she wasn't in the village. That meant he had been driven there (or away from somewhere else maybe?), which implied a trap.

If Danzô had organised all that, what was his purpose? He hadn't been in contact with me before, so I might not be his primary target. He may have acted that late against me because of the protection of the Hokage, but that was improbable since he could go against the Hokage orders how he liked.

Damn. That was even thicker than I had thought!

The door slid opened and I looked up. There was someone here. Someone who was bleeding. Long blond hair around the person's head prevented me from seeing if it was a boy or a girl.

"Hey… I didn't think there was someone here, mmh…" they rasped. "Well since you're here, mind giving me a hand?"

Blood was mixing with the water on the tiles. The liquid ran in the grooves, tracing red squares all around them. They were pressing their hands against their leg. I saw a kunai handle between their fingers. I couldn't see clearly from there, but if it was a clean wound, I should be able to stitch it back. But how come that person was injured in such a fashion? Civilians usually don't walk around ninja traps, or they die from it. They were either a very lucky civilian, or a shinobi.

"Are you a ninja?" I asked.

"Why do you ask? Just hurry and help me, mmh!" they yelled.

The look in my direction made me clearly see to things: his male face, and his Iwa headband.

"You're from Iwa. There's no point in helping you." I said.

"What? Do you know who you're talking to? I'm the Tsuchikage apprentice! Do not help me, and your pitiful village will suffer the consequences. Iwa is the strongest country!"

His threat created a thrill in me. Right here, right now I had the life of a seemingly important person from Iwa between my hands. I could let him die. Or I could let him live. I felt powerful. But if he did die, there would be an investigation of some sort. Even if he wasn't the student of the Tsuchikage like he pretended, this could result into another war between Konoha and Iwa. I didn't need that. I didn't want to be the cause of this. It didn't felt right.

"I'll help you." I said. "But only because your death could cause lots of problems between our villages. I don't know much about foreign policies, but I don't think our countries are especially friends."

He looked at me suspiciously. I sarcastically grinned at him.

"Don't tell me… You're with that Konoha group I avoided, right? Don't nod with that smug face. By the way, know that your smile is creepy, mmh. Now get me some help before I bleed to death."

"Could you close your eyes while I go out of the water?"

"You're that shy? Before someone about to die? Damn it's spinning around me now… urgh!"

He closed his eyes out of dizziness. I immediately stepped out and wrapped the towel around me. I formed a Bunshin who ran upstairs. My Jutsu made him open his eyes once again. They were of a deep grey, very clear. I felt like hated by them, as if he would throw himself at me had he been at the top of his form.

"Aah, it's not that you're shy, you're a chick. Couldn't tell from afar." he muttered as I walked near him. "Hey! Where are you going? Don't leave me, mmh."

I went past him to take a yukata from the inn. A simple vibration of the chakra on my skin made the water evaporate. My skin felt itchy. I had put too much energy in that one. Next time I'll get burned. I tied the obi loosely around my hips and took a few other towels. I threw one near him to sponge the blood before I kneeled near him. Gently I moved his leg.

I heard people running from upstairs.

"Here they come… You can stop holding the wound."

"You know what you're doing, right?"

"… probably." I offered.

"Probably?" he scoffed. "I left my hand between a stupid bi…"

"End that word, loose the tongue." A cold voice said near me.

Neji-San had arrived in the scene. He handed me a small leather pouch that I recognized immediately.

"I got your needles and some thread like your clone asked. The others are behind me."

"Are you okay Yanagi?" Lee-San asked.

"Lee-San, you hold his shoulders down, Neji-San you hold the leg."

"Hey! What are you.."

"Shut up and bit on that towel."

The injured ninja's answer was lost in a cry of pain as I took the kunai out. The wound was clean, even though it went through his right calf. I felt my teammates struggling against him. His leg jerked, spilling blood on my face. Neji-San grabbed behind the ankle and the knee to immobilize it. I cut the leg of his trousers with a pair of scissors and put both the utensil and the drenched material away. Sensei and Jiraya-Sama were there too. One of them handed me a needle ready to suture the wound. A pair of hands thought of cleaning the wound with water and soap, so I got a clear view.

The boy struggled, grunting with the gag in his mouth. I focused on his injury. Far from me was everything else. Somewhere there was Jiraya-Sama discussing with the tenants.

"I'm no medic, so it won't be pretty." I warned him before making the first point.

I had stitched back some of my own wounds pretty well before, but I had always gone to the hospital right after. He would need to see a real doctor after I was done with him, but it should do for a few days. We had received some teaching about emergency treatment, but it wasn't enough at all.

He bore with my operation. I was given bandages, and I wrapped them tightly around his muscle. He had lost a lot of blood. I hadn't noticed it before, but there was pools of red in the corridor before the baths.

"It should do for now." I said.

"Good job, youthful student of mine!"

The boy grunted under us.

"We should let him rest and give him something to eat. He won't be ready for interrogation for now." I said.

"Did he say anything to you?" Gai-Sensei asked.

"He said he was the Tsuchikage student, but that's all."

"I'll help you clean this place up." Neji-San said showing the room. "You might… want to clean up again later."

"So should the two of you. We're covered with blood." I remarked.

"Yes! We are covered with the blood of an enemy ninja! That sounds so heroic and youthful!"

"I just think it's dirty." I said to Lee-San. "Grab him under his arms, I'll get his legs. We'll put him upstairs."

We lifted him up without too much problems. Weights training had been really effective.

"Put him in my room, so we can take turns to watch him tonight." Jiraya-Sama said.

We carried him with difficulty to the room. Then I went to the sink to clean my hands and my face and wear proper clothes. I hadn't taken the time to put underwear on earlier. The water looked like a sick shade of grenadine. I put my cold hands on my face.

I should sleep. Tomorrow would be a big day.

And here we were, all of us cramped in the same room, all sleeping on futon mats. I agreed to take the last watch since I woke up early. Yet I was unable to sleep through the night. I was thinking about this mess that implied me, Itachi-Sama, Danzô and Jiraya-Sama. What were the links? Danzô had used a fake me against Itachi-Sama. Why? Why not use the real me? I would have been a fine hostage as I was. But I would have been in Konoha. Maybe they didn't want Itachi-Sama in Konoha. Or they wanted Itachi-Sama at that place where he found the fake girl.

Did he kill her? He didn't tell. Maybe he did.

And what about me? Now they wanted to send me to the next Chuunin exam in Kiri. Was there a purpose in that as well? Would Danzô gain something in that? What was special about Kiri? We were enemies back at the Third Ninja War, until they stabbed their ally Iwa in the back. They also hated Kekkei Genkai, but I would have been more worried if the exam had happened in Kumo for that matter.

Also I couldn't sleep because of Jiraya-Sama drunken snores and the Iwa-nin moans of pain. I think he was having a fever. So instead I crossed my arms behind my head and looked at the ceiling.

Since I went out of the Academy, everything changed. I don't understand. Was that how we grow in a ninja world? It just felt sick.

"You're not sleeping." Neji-San muttered.

"No. And I won't if you're talking to me." I groaned in answer.

I couldn't find a comfortable position. Actually I didn't feel like sleeping at all. As if I was _aware_ there was something wrong in the room. Not exactly like the chakra feeling I was in Ino's body, but close. As if I had something telling me I should be prepared for anything. I wasn't scared or angry. I was just lying awake. Waiting.

I sighed. This was unnerving. I turned on my side, coincidentally facing my teammate's direction. In the darkness his eyes shone a bit.

"You're watching me sleeping again." I said. "I had wondered about that for a while."

"Does it… bother you?"

I thought about it. I supposed someone caring for you was _nice_. It was supposed to be, right?

"I don't know." I said while shrugging.

He moved to sit closer. Sensei moved in his sleep. Neji-San interrupted his move. Everything seemed back to normal. He sat down right beside my head. I just had to look up at him. He moved a curled lock from my brow, slowly. I tapped his hand away from me. What didn't he understand with me not liking to be touched?

"Sorry." He said.

We remained silent. The lock was still in my face. It moved when I breathed. I moved it away myself.

"You dislike me touching you?" he asked after a while.

I wanted to say it wasn't just him, that it was everything. I had too much on my plate. But instead I just nodded. He crossed his arms. I saw the tension in that move. He was angry. I didn't understand that guy. He was always so cold and calm, except when we had these moments together. Yet it didn't feel special to me. I didn't cherish them.

Somehow it made me think of Itachi-Sama's warmth.

"It's not against you."

He didn't budge. In the dim light, I felt like confiding in him.

"It's not against you." I repeated.

"You've always been like that. Distant. Untouchable. Strong also. I thought you were just like me. I thought… It doesn't matter what I thought…"

"Did it hurt you? My behaviour, I mean?"

"You used to be cheerier before. Even if I felt it was fake. Because even then I couldn't reach you. It looked like nothing could. You've always been so far away. You still are, sometimes. When you're lost in your thoughts, it's like you're somewhere you won't return from. And when you do, you almost look like you're sad."

I listened to him. I listened, and his words made sense for once. I mindlessly played with my red pendant while he was speaking. Thoughts about Father and my mother went to my mind. I nibbled my lower lip. I had lost the flow of his words.

"Yes, just like that. It looks like I can't reach you when you're like this."

"I was just thinking about Father." I muttered.

"You like him a lot. You go see their tombs every day when we're in the village."

"Yeah…"

"Do you miss them that much?"

"It's not… _them_ , yet it _is_ … I don't know how to explain this. When Father went away, then Brother, I…"

Unable to find my words I turned away from him. He put his hand on my shoulder in a soothing gesture. I jerked away from it. He crossed his arms in anger again. Anyway what was the point? I couldn't feel his warmth either.

"There's no use in being compassionate now, Neji-San." I muttered. "There's just no use at all."

"Then what do you want me to do?" he furiously whispered.

"I want nothing. It's just like you said. I can't be reached."

"I just want to help."

"Here comes Neji the white night." I said sarcastically. "Find yourself another damsel in distress, because I'm not one to be saved."

His hand was fast when he flattened me on my back. I stared at him incredulously. He was containing his anger. What was that for?

"Why don't you want to accept my help? I've been trying so hard!" he huffed.

"Other have tried. They didn't succeed."

"Oh yeah? Then what about Tenten? Or Ino? How are they different from me?"

"They have boobs?" I offered.

"Don't joke around!"

Jiraya-Sama sat up, groaning.

"Take your lover's quarrel outside." He grunted. "And let everyone else sleep."

"Good idea." I said. "I've been wanting some fresh air."

I walked away. Neji-San followed.

"Alone." I added, glaring at him.

"No. You won't make me leave."

"Oh yeah?" I asked raising my brows. "And what will you do? Shower me with praises and hugs? You know I'm not that type for warming parties."

"No, I'm gonna do this."

At the moment he stepped towards me, there was a cushion thrown from the room.

"I said _outside_!"

I moved away to avoid it. In his move to follow me, Neji-San was hit. I couldn't help but snickering. He glared at me, and his eyes were cold, so cold. There was no point in me staying there. As my teammate threw the pillow back in the room, I shunshined away, using Brother's technique.

I wanted to be alone.

I landed on the roof. As soon as my feet touched the hard tiles, I felt wobbly. I balanced my arms, nearly falling off. I suffered from vertigo slightly, my stomach churning inside of me. I really should train more with that technique. I wasn't good enough at it. It was a speed boost made with chakra, it made you go so fast it looked like you were teleporting to somewhere else.

I sat down heavily, huffing a little. I wasn't used to my body anymore. I should probably train without my weights more often. Which meant I would have the opportunity to choose between heavy but slow punches, or quick but light ones. I had no idea what I should do.

Neji-San's behaviour wasn't changing one bit. Maybe it was because I couldn't properly handle the feelings he was hurling at me. I wouldn't consider him as my rival, because we weren't that close as friends, and I wasn't envious of him. I thought these two conditions had to be met for us to be rivals. We had shared a bit in the darkness, though. I had been willing to share some stuff with him, probably because I trusted him more than I used to.

And then suddenly it had been about Father…

A cold breeze went through my bangs. I ignored it, merely increasing the heat around my body. I had plenty of chakra anyway, I could afford to waste a bit of it. The moon was shining bright. I felt uneasy under its gaze. Suddenly I felt the cold, I felt the fear. It was seeping inside of me. It felt like cold finders digging through the scar in my chest. I couldn't breathe properly.

I remembered the katana slicing though my flesh with ease, the blade so sharp my body didn't resist a bit. I remembered the woozy respiration I had when I was pinned to the tree and my eyes were driven to this weird Sharingan. I remembered all that, and the feeling of blood pooling inside of me, soaking through my yukata, obstructing my throat…

Someone threw me back inside.

"Calm down Uchiha girl." Jiraya-Sama said. "You'll wake even more people if you keep sending chakra waves everywhere like a damn fool."

"Y… Yes…" I gurgled.

He made me stand ad breathe, one hand on my belly, the other on my back. He had large hands, rough hands I felt though the fabric of my clothes. I breathed in. Breathed out. Tried that meditative respiration I knew. Breathe in, two, three, four. Stop the diaphragm, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Breathe out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Do it all again. And again. And again. And breathe normally.

I felt calm now.

Jiraya-Sama nodded at me.

"Good girl." He said. "Never thought lover's quarrel would put someone like you in that state?"

"What quarrel? With Neji-San?"

"Who else? You've been angry at someone else beside him the past hour?"

I shook my head negatively. Or maybe at myself, but it was something I was used to.

"Come downstairs with me. You look like you need to sort things out."

I followed him. My scar itched me, I had a hard time not scratching it. I found myself seated in front of the man, sharing a cup of black tea with him.

"So what's wrong with you. I doubt it's a story between you and that Hyuuga boy, even if it looks like you're piling things up."

"Well, Neji-San is… I don't know how to put it… It's like he's obsessed with me or what."

"Isn't that common between lovebirds like you two?"

"Lovebirds? You mean the colourful parrots that are always sticking together? Oh no, Neji-San and I aren't like that. I wouldn't have enough patience to stay close to him, I think."

"Is that me or you're totally not getting the point?"

"About what?"

"About him? I spotted him right away, he just can't keep being close to you."

The corner of my mouth twisted. I sipped my tea a bit.

"It's annoying, but I guess it's his way of observing my skills. He's been willing to be my rival for so long…"

"Are you doing it on purpose or are you really oblivious?"

"What are you talking about?" I frowned.

"Were you living out of the society for years or what? The kid's just mad about you!"

"You mean he's even more obsessive than I thought with this rivalry thing?"

Jiraya-Sama facepalmed while sighing theatrically.

"You… You're really innocent, are you?"

I cocked my head to the side. Didn't Kakashi say the same thing about myself? Right after that he pinned me on my kitchen floor and proved me I was too cocky. He showed that to me in a very unpleasant way. I felt like I had bitten something sour, and I drank the rest of my tea in one go. Jiraya-Sama was observing my face with a peculiar look.

"I don't understand you. I'm telling you you're innocent and now you're blushing. You're really sure you didn't get what I was talking about?"

"I was just remembering someone telling me the exact same words, about me being innocent. I still don't get what he was talking about, but after he lend me the books you've written and told me to read them. He pretended they were valuable teaching material, and that my future boy friends should thank him for it. I have some friends who are boys, but I don't see why your books will be useful in that matter…"

"Someone made you read my books and you're still acting that way? Are you sure you really read them? What was the story about?"

"It was about your life, your struggles with love, your battles even though the hero was a bit different. Some sort of graphic action/romance."

"I don't know if I should be embarrassed someone gives my books to read to a teenager, or happy to meet one of my readers. Yanagi, you're aware there are lots of sex scene in my books."

"Yes, I read them. I had no idea people could be that flexible."

"You read explicit content, and that's all you think of telling me?"

He was baffled. I reddened. Of course I had been excited by these texts, I wasn't insensitive. I bit my lips, trying to control the reactions of my body when I recalled the words written on these pages. Jiraya-Sama sighed again.

"I thought you were some kind of incredible and asexual being."

"Is there a problem in being asexual? It would be very practical in missions, wouldn't it? No distractions."

"So you are understanding what happens between a man and a woman. Now if you apply this reasoning to your Hyuuga teammate, you'd see the similarities."

"I see what you mean. Rivalry is such a strong feeling between two people."

"Are you for real?" he deadpanned. "I understand the desperate attempts of the boy now."

Seriously, these adults had heavy reactions sometimes.

A moonbeam lightened the room briefly, and I unconsciously tensed. Jiraya-Sama raised a brow at that.

"What now? You're afraid of the moon?" he teased.

"Not especially, it just brings bad stuff in my mind."

He opened his mouth to ask something but I quickly added:

"I have no wish to share this with you."

"Now I see what the Hyuuga boy meant when he says you don't want to be helped. I feel like I have a second Itachi with me. Though he wasn't as difficult as you were."

Despite my spike of interest in his words, I wasn't foolish enough to answer him. Speaking now would obviously lead to a long conversation. I felt like these words should be only spoken with my family members; when they will be open-minded enough in Sasuke's case.

"Go back to sleep when you're ready. We have a long day ahead of us."

I nodded at him and he left. What did he really want from me. I couldn't understand that man. I went back to sleep, waving at Gai-Sensei who was taking his turn to watch the blonde boy. Jiraya-Sama wasn't asleep yet. His face went grim as I went past him. Our "prisoner" wasn't asleep either. He was staring at me with attention. I wondered if he wanted to flee and was checking when I would be asleep. Or maybe was he curious about the conversation between Neji-San and I earlier.

I put a hand on his brow. He was burning with fever. In the darkness, his broad jaw made me think of Sasuke. I pulled a handkerchief from my pack and wet it before putting it on his forehead. His lips quirked up briefly. I went to sleep after that.

Lee-San shook me by the shoulder when the sun started shining outside. I immediately went on my feet. I shook my head in the blonde's direction. Lee-San's thumb went up and he beamed at me. Good. I sat near the boy, checking his temperature once again. It had come down. As soon as my hand touched his brow, his own clasped around my wrist. I looked at him, unimpressed.

"Water…" he muttered.

I looked around. Of course everyone would have been asleep at that moment. Well I just had to ask Lee-San… no he was snoring happily. That's why I hated being alone with the prisoner. If I left him alone, he might do something wrong, and I couldn't make corporeal clones yet. Given the strength in his hands, he might have recovered enough to fly away. Suddenly there was something wet on my skin and violently jerked away. It felt like…

"A tongue?" I wondered out loud and someone groaned in its sleep.

The boy had a panicked look in his eyes, and I felt the tension in his body. I tensed as well, ready to push him down if he made a dangerous move. My knuckles creaked when I curled my hands into fists. He stopped whatever move he had been doing. He would be impaired by his injury if he tried anything. We stayed unmoving for a while, until he gave up.

He sighed, and his muscles relaxed. I did the same, though I was sure we were both looking for the right opportunities. If I left an opening he might try to attack me, probably will take me as a hostage to prevent the others from hurting him. And then what? He wouldn't stand a chance against me in his state. He would have to knock me down, or incapacitate me in one go, and we hadn't left anything dangerous on him.

Still he was apparently the Tsuchikage's apprentice. I ought to be wary of him.

I stretched, both my shoulders creaked. The boy cringed at the sound. I neatly see two mouths opening on his palms, sticking out their tongues in distaste. He glared at me, daring me to do a single mocking gesture. Actually I was more intrigued than anything else. I took one of his hands on mine, and prodded the mouth gently, with curiosity. The ninja had an unsure look about him. I stopped.

"Sorry, you might think I'm being pretty rude…" I muttered.

"It's okay, I guess… You might be the first to do such a thing… I…"

I wasn't listening anymore, back at my observation. It looked like a Kekkei Genkai. I noticed that the inside of his hand was really smooth. It hadn't the scars or calluses one should have by throwing kunai, shuriken and such. It was really strange. Even his nails were very neatly trimmed. Mine were as well, but more because if they were too long it would disturb me when I move my katana around.

"You're not listening to me." He pouted.

"Sorry." I muttered mechanically.

"You don't sound like you are."

"Hn." I grunted.

I found myself taking my camera out of my bag, and angling his arm in the light. The polaroid came out neatly, and I waved it in the air. I was rather satisfied by the result. I nodded to him as a thanking gesture. He was frowning at me with an unsure air around him. I looked at the picture again Then at his hand. So it was real, a real Kekkei Genkai with hands on their palms.

"You're weird, kunoïchi."

"Hn."

I put my things back inside my bag. It seemed like the boy was willing to talk. He might close himself if I said anything else. So I kept prodding his hand, with the polaroid on my knee. Did they really have neat square teeth?

"Seriously you're fucking weird. You and your boyfriend look like porcelain dolls, I swear. Are all Konoha ninjas like that? And what's with you? You look like you're sixteen or seventeen, so why ae you hanging out with Genin kids? Still didn't make it to the Chuunin exams?"

My eyes roamed on him, showing only boringness.

"You're still a Genin as well. Is Iwa dumb enough to let Genin go all alone in a foreign country?"

He gritted his teeth.

"Iwa is Iwa."

"Then Konoha is Konoha. What's your point?"

"You sure you're a ninja? You look like an aristocrat in these clothes, with that behaviour. You're a noble they are accompanying back to your lands, aren't you? They are letting you guard me? How incompetent are Konoha ninjas?"

He was trying to rile me up. For what reasons? Did he want me to hit him so he would say his kinsmen how poorly he was treated by us? Did he want me to lose my means so he could best me? Well even if he tried to take me hostage, I would best him. So he was definitely waiting for something.

My eyes widened. Of course he wouldn't have come alone.

"Neji." I called.

He was immediately up.

"You didn't use the suffix this morning. Does that mean…"

"Shut up and look around. This guy's team might be lurking around. And I'm sure all of you are awake by now, so let's get moving."

"Of course I am, my youthful students!"

"Shhhh! I'm trying to concentrate!"

I had to expand my sensing abilities to the maximum. It was really hard because I never did that by my own, and I was just used to sense only my family members. It had seemed so easy in Ino-San's body… I focused and focused again until I could brush against the energy of the people in the room.

Someone shook me by the shoulder.

"There's no use, kid." Jiraya-Sama said. "You're not a sensor. Don't strain yourself now and get dressed while we but this guy elsewhere. We've all been imprudent. I assumed he was a Chuunin since he was alone and claimed to be the Tsuchikage's apprentice. I should have known better."

"Yes, sir."

"Things might be a little trickier with another ninja team here." Gai-Sensei muttered.

"We could negotiate." I said, taking my ninja clothes out of the bag. "We have an injured teammate of theirs, and treated him. It might count to them."

"Leave that to me." Jiraya-Sensei said. "I'll take the girl and the Iwa nin with me. The others will guard the place."

"Understood."

I stepped in the bathroom and quickly bandaged my chest. Then I tied my short kimono and flattened my hair the best I could under my headband. As soon as I was ready, I forced the ninja on his feet. He was smaller than I was, so it wasn't easy to get him up, unless I grabbed him roughly by his leather belt. He smelled of sweat and blood. I'll check his bandages when Jiraya-Sama will order us to stop.

"What are you? A titan?" he groaned ad I was dragging him out of the room.

"Can you walk?" I asked.

"As if I'd make things easier for you." He snarled.

"Wrong answer."

"What the…"

I punched him hard in the diaphragm, efficiently shutting his air ways for a while. He doubled up. In a smooth move, I crouched before him and placed my shoulder right above his hips. I stood up, holding him like a sack of potatoes. My centre of balance wasn't right, but it would do. In a few steps I was in the room Jiraya-Sama had chosen for us, with only one access to it so the team would only come from one way. If they didn't, Neji-San was connected by the radio and watched the area with his Byakugan. Lee-San and Gai-Sensei were posted all around.

The enemies would come quickly.

I let the teenager down. My back would suffer if I kept carrying so much around.

"You really are a giant woman" he wheezed.

"Hn" I said as I crouched near him again and changed the bandages.

Only a mix of lymph and blood had seeped through. The boy cringed when I had to tear some on the sticky bandages. It didn't look swollen. Then he hissed when I disinfected both sides of the wound. It looked rather good. I was proud of my work on him.

The radio crackled.

"They are coming." Neji-San said.

I was ready.

* * *

 _I hope you liked this week chapter :) I'm now looking at all their ways of fighting to see how to arrange that (of course with Jiraya and Gai with the Konoha's team...)  
_

 _fuchsdeifeswuid: What mental image? Gai-Sensei in fundoshi XD? Yeah, I thought it would be fun..._

 _Guest: Hehe... Hehe... You shouldn't have asked me about clueless Yanagi and Jiraya learning she has read her books. Loook at what you've made me write XD_

 _See ya!_


	22. Competition

_"Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off." Franklin D. Roosevelt_

 **Chapter 22 : Competition**

"They are coming." Neji-San said in the communicator.

I looked at the boy I had put down. He was getting on his feet. His teenage face showed signs of anxiety. I wondered how old he was. He looked older when he was bleeding to death, arrogantly claiming to be the student of the Tsuchikage. Right now I felt like I was staring at a child at fault, waiting to be punished.

"You don't wear any sign indicating that you're a Chuunin, and you're certainly not a Jounin if you got caught in a trap." I said out loud.

"It was a _big_ trap, mmh." he pretended.

"Indeed, he isn't in the data books I have on me, but I thought he might have been recently added." Jiraya-San said.

"It's a Genin team with him, we don't need to worry." I muttered.

"Yes, but an Iwa Genin Team."

"Does that makes that much of a difference?" I asked.

"To you, not so much I think."

The communicator sizzled, and I perceived the echo of battle.

"They're too many, some are coming your way!" Lee-San prevented me.

"Roger that."

I stretched my arms, making my shoulders creak. Finally, a bit of action. Just at that moment, I heard the tenant of the inn squeaking on the other side of the house. I jumped on the wall, hiding among the shadows on the ceiling. I crawled from where I was and casted a few Genjutsu on the corridor I was on, a mild one on Jiraya-Sama's room, and a stronger one in another room. If they found the corridor, they would probably pick the room with the strongest Genjutsu, and fall asleep there. If they went to the room with their teammate…

I went out of the corridor, closing to them. I glanced backwards. My eyes immediately drifted away. Great, they wouldn't enter it if they didn't pay enough attention. Staring at the corridor would give them a feeling of non-existence, as if there was nothing. They would grow uncomfortable if they went in. Inside there, I was reminded of the empty ruins of the clan, something sad I definitely wouldn't stare at. Sad, melancholic, and haunted as well.

"Nothing near the kitchens." A boy said.

"Of course you would have immediately checked the kitchen." A girl replied angrily. "The staff is probably hiding in the cave. We'll interrogate them later."

She had short black hair, fairly large shoulders, and was as tall as her companions. They all look like they were at least fifteen or sixteen. What impressed me the most, is that apart from her straight hair, her slightly tanned skin and the lack of mole, she looked a lot like me. I had heard that people could look like other people even though they didn't share the same bloodline. So now I had a double working in an Iwa Genin team…

First that explained why that Deidara-San confided into me so fast: I looked like one of his teammates. Second I might be able to use that later, either against this team or against the blonde Iwa shinobi.

"I _know_ he is inside. I just can't tell where." another boy said.

"Then concentrate better on you sixth sense, or whatever." The girl replied.

"Over there… It seems there is an area with more chakra…" he muttered.

Shit! They had a sensor with them! The red-haired boy would probably notice the amount of chakra I had used to conceal the place. Well that won't mean he would avoid the illusion effects, but knowing it was there will make it dismiss most of the effects I intended.

I should have planted physical traps when I was at it. But I didn't have the time. The best to do would be to eliminate their sensor. I saw him closing his eyes, sweat covering his brow. He wasn't very good I was lucky, but he was already better than I was in that area. Well it wasn't that hard: I had used a lot of energy to make these illusions stand. They would have a hard time dismissing them.

I silently aimed at them. Neck, guts, thigh… There were several spots I could easily get and it would be over. I had no idea if they had a medic with them, but I could make the boy bleed to death, even die in an instant if I coated my weapons with chakra. That would be ironical since I had just sewed one of their teammates back. Even if I could, could I justify all this violence.

Yesterday too I have faced the same dilemma. Being a ninja and eliminating people was easy. Anyone could dismiss a kill with a simple: "I was ordered to". Maybe this boy had a brilliant future before him, maybe he didn't. The one I'd hurt the must would probably be me. And after I'll have his teammates facing me, and it would be another spar where I could simply say "I killed them because they wanted to kill me."

In the end, we all killed for simple silly reasons. But it wasn't fair, was it. Nothing was in this world, but did it justify all this violence? Killing was simple and fast. The kunai I was about to throw trembled in my hands. Yes, it would be easy to throw it. But what would happen after? Could _I_ face the consequences? Could I still sleep at night after that?

"It's near here. The chakra signature has intensified." the sensor said.

"Akatsuchi, check the right room. I'll check the other one." The girl decided. "Toma, you stay in the corridor."

They didn't see the corridor I had masked. Now the sensor was all alone, I'd just have to be swift and it could be over. It wasn't part of the mission, and there wasn't any need to eliminate these people. They weren't an immediate danger to us. Actually we were the one to detain their teammate, so in all logic we would be the bad guys. Who was I to make such a decision?

Yet, killing was so much easy than rendering someone unconscious.

I had no time to lose. I stopped the chakra flux that glued me to the ceiling and silently dropped behind the boy. My hands immediately went to his throat, but I managed to cover his mouth instead and punched him hard in the gut. He was stronger than I expected, throwing me above his shoulder. I reversed my grip, plunging my fist in his mouth to muffle his cry. As I was flying, I stepped on the wall and gripped it with chakra. I used his own move to make us both fall on the other side of the corridor. Fortunately, I had thought to erase the sounds from this part of the house, so their teammate wouldn't call for them.

His teeth sunk in my hand and a gasp of pain escaped me. By the time I took my hand out of his mouth, a hard fist was coming at me. I twisted my body to evade it. I didn't like fighting in restrained places like this. Especially not when my own illusions were affecting me as well, reminding me of that empty house with Father.

"Kurotsuchi! I found the signature I had sensed!" he yelled.

Only silence and a smell of old tobacco answered him. It fired me up. This environment made me uneasy, and I had steam to let loose. I lunged at him. He didn't move, rather turned around. He was surprised by the door behind him who hadn't been there before. I clearly saw his skin becoming grey. Some sort of hardening Jutsu? It didn't matter. In this zone, his spirit was already influenced by my illusion. I'd just have to increase my domination.

My fist connected to his jaw. Unfortunately, it had become hard as rock. I felt the shock coursing through my arm and the skin of my hands blister. His grey eyes locked on me for a second. I infused my chakra directly in his head, but not fast enough to avoid a stone-like grip on my wrist.

"You won't surprise me twice. I can sense you!" he yelled. "Where is Deidara-Nii?"

He punctuated his sentence with a punch aiming my elbow. It would break my arm if it connected, and he was immobilizing me. It was my luck. Stone didn't conduct heat very well, and his Jutsu wasn't simply a hardened skin. It was probably like a second skin. I could move the chakra around me, but the stone on his skin was made of packed particles which I wouldn't control that much.

Then I remembered the little Sakura-Chan asking why I was making heat and not sound with my vibration. It was probably a question of frequency. If I could adjust it…

The output in chakra was way higher than I had expected. I hadn't thought of the self-inflicted damages either. I felt a wave of hit and hard shivers in my arms. They were very quick and brutal, each shake crumbling a bit of his armour. My muscle fibres felt excruciating under the pressure of his grip and the violent treatment I was inflicting him. We both howled in pain as I managed to retreat my hand in a cloud of stone dust. The little shards were peeling the skin off my hand.

He followed my steps back.

"Kurotsuchi! Akatsuchi! Deidara-Nii!" he was howling while trying to hit me.

But this time I was ready, and I send false images of my position to him. At first it would felt as if he was getting dizzy, seeing double. Then his brain would act to correct the situation between the reality he perceived through his eyes and the images I sent him through chakra, and would suppress me all by himself. Brain tricks were amazing.

I didn't need to do much to avoid him as long as I maintained the pressure on his mind, and he didn't seem to think he was trapped in a Genjutsu. I liked mixing reality and illusion, because fighting in our minds would force me to split my attention between the illusion and the reality. In this case it wouldn't be tragic, but against several teammates it was a dangerous move.

It would have taken me more energy than I had thought, and caused me some damages, but I finally knocked him down by having him butthead a door frame. He fell out of the Genjutsu and I dragged him to Jiraya-Sama's room where I tied him. Seeing him unconscious, I was reminded of how easy it was to kill people. It felt wrong.

"Is everything okay?" Jiraya-Sama asked.

"Toma!" Deidara-San exclaimed. "Wake up buddy! What did you do to him?"

"I knocked him out." I shrugged while turning my radio on. "How are you doing guys?"

Battle noise answered me. They seemed busy. I turned to the occupants of the room.

"You know; I didn't think they would attack us. I mean, we could have given them their teammate diplomatically." I remarked.

"I said that I handled the negotiations." Jiraya-San said.

"You were waiting for them to break our defences or wh…"

"Dynamic entry!" Gai-Sensei yelled and I was forced to drag both our… guests… outside his path of destruction.

Lee-San laid in his arms, completely knocked out. Neji-San followed them. His eyes fell on my injured arm and he cringed. I shrugged. It was no big deal, I had worse during my training with Sasuke.

"Where are the other Genin?" He asked, eying the unconscious boy.

I closed my eyes and visualised the big boy shivering in the corridor. He really didn't like the haunted house-like feel I had given this place. When I had been fighting with Toma-San, he had been too busy to notice all the features I had put there. For now, both Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi were walking an endless corridor, probably to the trapped room I had left intact. The Jutsu was steadily draining me. I sat down to mix some more spiritual and physical together. There should be a way to have them feed the trap with their own chakra, but I hadn't had the time to study Genjutsu much.

"Trapped in the corridor." I said. "They're not likely to find the exit without their sensor now."

The two males were sighing in contentment.

"Then it will probably end even better than we thought. We came into an agreement with the ninja from Iwa. We couldn't contact you for a while, we thought they knocked you down, even if you were protected by Jiraya-Sama." Gai-Sensei said.

"I did nothing, I wanted to know if she could do it on her own." The man said.

"She could have been gravely injured!" Neji-San exclaimed.

"He's right." someone said. "You're lucky these kids are weak to Genjutsu. Thanks for reminding that to me leaf girl."

A woman appeared in the hole Sensei had just made in the wall. She wore a standardized Iwa outfit I had seen in some of the books on the subject: red coat covering one of his arms, brown ninja pants, black sandals. Her long auburn hair was tied with style around her body, her front bangs gathered in a tight braid behind her right ear. She seemed to hide lots of things in her outfit, and I was quite wary of her square backpack. Two students were behind her, a girl with pigtails, glasses and pointed teeth and a boy with green dishevelled hair. He was heavily leaning on her, his bruises indicating that Neji had probably immobilizing him. I saw them showing me with their fingers and probably remarking my resemblance with their teammate. With a gesture of his hand, the Jounin accompanying them walked in the room.

"Sensei!" Deidara-San exclaimed.

"And you're lucky these Leaf ninjas had nothing against us." The woman said to the blonde. "Diplomacy could do a lot of good in our world."

"I couldn't agree more." Jiraya-Sama said.

He took a good look at her chest while he was at it. She had a slight smile that made him blush. I noticed it didn't go to her eyes. They were fixated on me. I glanced at Gai-Sensei, and read in his eyes that we had all gone easy on each other. No one had been outwardly aggressive. These matches were like friendly spars, except that we weren't friends. When I said ninja's spars were the equivalent of the civilians going for a coffee…

"I apologize for our earlier attack. We had thought you had abducted the boy, so…"

"I said I was resolving this mission first, mmh" he pouted.

"Oh don't worry, it was a good exercise for the kids, very youthful." Gai-Sensei said.

"That's what I thought when the Blue Beast of Konoha let Genin handle mine."

"Well I just happen to see someone with a 'flee on sight' order who didn't seem to attack my kids either." He replied on the same tone.

"How is that supposed to be a normal conversation?" I wondered.

"Sensei's bragging about us again. It's all because they have me in their team, mmh!" Deidara-San bragged.

"Remind me why you were bleeding to death yesterday?" I asked.

"Yanagi, I think you can release the other Genin now." Jiraya-San said.

"Oh, yes that's true." I said

The drain was steady and they weren't moving much in that never-ending corridor. But their Sensei walked to me. I tensed a bit, even though I didn't want to show it. She crouched near Toma-San. Although I had knocked him out and tied him up, his mind was still trapped in the Genjutsu. His Sensei immediately cut the strings immobilizing his student. Her hand glowed green when she put it on the boy's brow. A medic.

"What an interesting technique. You managed to have his own brain sustain the illusion, even though your chakra is diminishing. I suppose the illusion would have vanished unless you provide him with more chakra, but it's enough to provide a large opportunity. Allow me to break your zone illusion as well." She said. "I'll need some information about your illusion for later. Genin managing to trap my future are pretty rare."

She let the boy the time to wake up. Then she opened the door to the corridor and stepped in. Immediately after she stilled, then forcefully brought her hands together and released herself from the illusion. Then she moved to her students and sent a spark of chakra in their systems, efficiently cleaning them from my attack.

"Sensei!" the girl's shouted. "Toma has disappeared!"

"And then there was this corridor that never ended, but I couldn't break the illusion." Akatsuchi moaned.

"It's only natural. No one would have known there was actually a Genjutsu specialist among a Genin team."

Neji-San crouched near me as well. Gently, he prodded my burned and clawed skin. I couldn't repress a slight jerking gesture as he ascertained my wrist wasn't broken. The trio came back to the room. It was starting to get a little crowded in here. The big boy stilled near me and caught the girl by the shoulder.

"Kurotsuchi, look!"

She dumbly stared at me for a moment, before a wild grin appeared on her face.

"So cool! There's another me in Konoha!" she said. "I hope you're as badass as I am."

"She's a bitch as much as you are." Toma-San grumbled before locking his eyes on me. "Next time I see you, I'll crush your arm into dust."

"You might get burn doing that." I coolly replied.

The hand he had been holding me with wasn't fairing any better than my own wrist. It was itching me, and I had a hard time not peeling my skin off. He closed his fist, as if it was nothing. I saw the thick muscles of his arm popping. Under the threat, Neji-San put himself between us.

"Your doll-like teammate is even protecting you." He spat. "Can you be even more pathetic?"

"You…" Neji-San started before a look from Gai-Sensei cut him off.

"What a well-brought dog you are, doll-boy. I know your chakra signature fire-bitch. Your little Jutsu won't be saving you next time." Toma continued.

"Is he like that usually?" I asked the two people that came in.

"He's a real pain in the ass." Kurotsuchi-San said. "And a sore looser at that. But in the end he's just a tiny pebble under my foot, that idiot."

"So you're the one who trapped us in the corridor? Well played." Akatsuchi said.

"Oh yeah… That reminds I promised myself to wreck the face of that so-called Genjutsu specialist. I suppose you won't be worth the fight."

I briefly glanced at our respective Sensei. The medic was currently healing Deidara. Because she was a bit slow, I supposed she wasn't a very good healer, but that probably meant her specialties weren't in that domain. The woman was too busy with his student to prevent the tensions that were rising. But the slight tug of her lips told me otherwise: she was amused by the scene.

We were outnumbered, and we had lost our hostages. Which meant an all-out fight wouldn't be at our advantage. They wouldn't attack because of Jiraya-Sama and Gai-Sensei, and we wouldn't be attacking them because of the Jounin here. No one would be attacking because it could degenerate, but it was a whole other story if we were defending ourselves, right.

"I'm sorry Kurotsuchi-San, but you're the one who weren't worth the fight. I just saw you ordering people around and cowering in this inn. I hope the nap I offered you was as pleasant as the one Toma-San had." I told her sweetly.

Her smile was slightly sour when she showed me her teeth. The big boy near her seemed more of a pacifist. He will probably seize her if she attempted anything. The redhead stood up, grinning because he was towering us. He brought his hands together with strength.

"I get the time to dream of how many of your bones I'd break today."

"The best you could do was a scratch, and you were calling your teammates for help." I said.

"You bitch, I'll…" he started walking on me.

Neji-San started to move, still hoping to protect me. But Toma-San thought he could do whatever he wanted. His attention was to fixated on me. He was sending waves of chakra all around me in an aura of fear. I could see my teammate tensing at that. I just send my own chakra crashing onto his. I was targeting only him. As our energy collided, I send another wave of chakra which hit him with strength. Images of me easily overcoming him bloomed in both our minds through my illusions. Toma-San stumbled back, and his brow was covered of sweat.

"Your illusions won't work on me. You won't trap me anymore."

"Why wouldn't I waste my energy that way? You're already scared. I just have to wait for your next mistake."

And strike. And kill. It would be easy… No! Killing wasn't the solution. I clenched my fist. Plus, there was very little chance that I managed such a feat in a room full of people. I wouldn't have the time to injure him too much before anything happened but still. Even that boy would stop me, since he was on his guards like everyone else in this room.

It might be that tension in the air which made me think it was an easy feat to kill someone. Without the effect of surprise, it becomes… No! What am I even thinking? Killing people is never easy. Neither is it the solution to the problems of life.

"So you did the stitches to Deidara as well? Aren't you full of surprises?" the man said. "I am starting to wonder about the choices of Konoha in terms of teams. She looks as old as my kids, and you're caging her with fresh Genin?"

He was asking too many questions for my taste. Apparently to Jiraya-Sama's tastes as well. But there were other people who could talk. Like my teammates and my Sensei. I knew Neji-San could keep his tongue, Lee-San and Gai-Sensei were a whole other deal.

"We're all fresh Genin! The power of youth that flows through our veins is the same!"

"Oho… So you're what, thirteen or something? What a cute little baby." Toma-San taunted.

"The cute little baby handled your ass, idiot." Deidara-San mocked.

"Why are you on her side!" the redhead complained.

"Man, I saw her boobs when I was injured. Imagine Kurotsuchi with _bigger_ boobs. And this morning, when she was alone with me…" The blonde explained and the tongues on his hands wiggled.

In the next pair of seconds, I went horribly red and jumped on my feet. I had a defensive position. Neji-San had tried jumping at Deidara-San. I was holding his arm as he was in my way to strangle that peep. Toma-San was actually throwing me a weird look, while maintaining Neji-San in place with his other hand. Lots of people were looking at me and my doppelganger. She was punching her way to the blonde with a ton of insults in her mouth.

There was a striking noise as Lee-San managed to hit the blonde across the face and he was thrown down. Surprisingly, Gai-Sensei held his student just after the hit had landed.

"I had just healed him." the Jounin Sensei complained before crouching to the nose-bleeding teenager.

"Do not insult my teammates in front of me. Ever. Yanagi-San is the most upright person I know. She'd never fall for your malevolent schemes."

"Well, this mission seems promising." I muttered.

How long before we threw ourselves at each other's throats? I didn't have the time to think too much. That last hit had made the tension rise even more than before. I saw the young Genin smiling at each other, lurking for blood. Neji-San and Lee-San were like that as well. In that sea of violence there was only the adults and I.

None of them had killed before, or even seen a dead body, right?

I prepared myself for the fight when I felt that incredible pressure in the air. It was just like that night when I was gasping for air at the moon. But it wasn't the moon. There was an incredible source of energy that send fear through me. It wasn't like the Genjutsu I had thrown at Toma-San earlier. No, it was terrifying raw power. It burned.

I held my head in my hands, trembling. I remembered a sword through me in a time like this. I had no will to stand. That power wanted me to bow down, to kneel to it. It wanted me to stop all this and obey. I was weak, he was strong. That was the truth I felt in all that energy. I felt powerless under that power, as if the one wielding it could do whatever he wanted. That is what he was saying. He was the frog; we were the flies he'd eat in a swift move. Sudden death. Brutal death. Inevitable death.

I heard someone moaning. I thought it was my own voice. It could very well be. But there wasn't any gurgling respiration like last time, nor that blade through my left lung. I was paralyzed anyway, but I'd surely die if I tried.

"What do you think you are doing, you stupid kids. You think I'll let you land attacks on each other and say nothing?" growled a deep voice.

It was Jiraya-Sama, the goofy Jiraya-Sama with that voice. A man who knew so much more than what he said. The man who was linked to Itachi-Sama.

Itachi-Sama… I couldn't die here! I couldn't!

I opened my eyes to reveal the Sharingan. It had been a while. I looked at the man who was threatening my very life. I couldn't die here. I had to get the information from Itachi-Sama. I had to know why the clan fell for! I had to know why Sasuke survived! I had to find my new purpose in life. I had to. I couldn't die here.

I closed my trembling hands, my nails digging inside my palms. There was something hot rolling inside my fists. A wet drop fell on the floor.

"You're very impressive, Uchiha girl." The Jounin from Iwa panted.

Then I noticed I was the only one truly standing. All the Genin looked like they were agonizing on the floor. Gai-Sensei was leaning against the wall, he was very pale. The woman was seating on the ground, her brow covered with sweat.

I looked at Jiraya-Sama.

"You have a strong will." He said. "But the lesson wasn't for you."

The tension immediately dropped. I felt like the air around me regained a few degrees. I had the biggest difficulties unclenching my fists. My nails had dug semi-circular wounds on my skin, deep enough to draw blood. Gai-Sensei tossed a roll of bandages at me, and I used it to wipe my palms clean. Everyone around me was on the floor.

"It was for the ones who wanted to fight, I understand." I said. "But is it the way to get peace."

"This was merely discipline. To me, you're all whining kids." Jiraya-Sama said. "There are times where you can nag each other, and even start a fight. But this isn't such time. We are all strangers in this country, and we have no interest in fighting one another. Did I get myself clear?"

Answers were grunted by the different people in the room. This man was clearly terrifying.

"And just for those of you who think they have the advantage of the number; a backup team should arrive in a matter of hours." Gai-Sensei added, closely looking at the Iwa Jounin.

I heard Kurotsuchi-San making comments about capturing one of us and getting a nice hostage. I thought she meant me, because of the trap I had closed around him. They were looking down on me because I had been classified as a Genjutsu specialist, and usually these people weren't good physical fighters. Both Deidara-San and Toma-San emitted dubious looks at that idea, even if it seemed appealing to them. I was making more and more enemies in Iwa it seemed.

"Jiraya-Sama, you should let these young people fight." The Iwa Jounin said with a seductive voice. "You know how boys are at that age. Too much testosterone and they get to clash."

Even though he totally disapproved that idea, the Sannin's eyes softened. He was very appreciative of the curves of the Jounin Sensei. And if I wasn't mistaken, so did most of the males in the room. I frowned. I didn't like this situation at all. I clearly emitted a disappointing noise. The old man's eyes fell on me. The twinkle on them made me even warier than before.

"I fear some of them had difficulties to understand my lesson, Yanagi. Would you care for helping me with my teaching?"

"Depends. Who do I fight?" I asked.

"Does it really matter to you?" he said.

"I know Genin are nothing to you, but I'm the kind of person who likes to know a bit about their opponents."

"Deidara, you go." The sensei decided. "You did nothing in that last fight!"

"But Sensei, I was injured…" he complained.

"Yes, but you're the one who caused all that mess."

"Sensei's the one continuing it." Akatsuchi remarked.

She glared at him and he froze. Interesting.

"Sensei! I want to crush that girl!" Toma-San exclaimed.

"You already lost to her. Now you get to watch and learn. Deidara observed her doing Genjutsu. He's been with the Konoha team since last night. I wish your reluctance isn't because of some growing affection."

Her voice was sweet, yet so sharp and cold at the same time. I repressed a shiver. She really was dangerous that one. With reluctance, Deidara-San's grey eyes crossed mine. He nodded at me and showed the outside. We started with the ninja seal, both our right forefingers and middle fingers were touching. His skin felt smooth under mine. He didn't have the scars left by the intensive use of weapons.

"No killing, no maiming, no grave injury." They told us.

"Get that bitch!" Toma-San yelled.

"Go Yanagi!" Lee-San howled even louder.

"Start!" Jiraya-Sensei announced.

He had the immediate reflex to draw back from me. His hands plunged in the square pouches on his hips. They were staying too long to be shuriken or kunai. Or maybe he would throw at the last moment.

"I'm sorry. It's not against you." I told him while lunging at him fast.

His eyes widened. I decided it wasn't worth using all this speed. He managed to avoid my slowing fist with a step to the side, his hands joining. I could hear a wet munching sound. It was kind of disgusting. He threw his hand's content in my direction, a white form. The clay creation spread out its wings. I was so fascinated that I stayed there watching.

And the bird exploded right to my face.

It wasn't a strong explosion. Just enough so the wind would send me away with mild burns. I felt my body turning in the air and the world spun around me as I executed an involuntary back loop. I crashed on the ground harshly, dirt and stones scratching me everywhere.

If he had wanted so, he could have blown my head. I would have died. I laid down for a millisecond. He knew I would have died. I knew it too. Everyone knew it, and I felt they would rub it in my face. Deidara-San looked at me, his eyes asking if I wanted to give up. He wasn't resenting me or anything. He let me stand up.

"She's lost! Let that mascaraed end!" Toma-San yelled.

"In a real battle, she would have died." The Sensei added. "Your Genin team sucks, Maito Gai."

"She totally let him land that attack!" Gai-Sensei retorted. "She _slowed down_!"

"Shall I continue?" Deidara-San asked. "This time we go all out, mmh."

"Hn."

"I'll take that for a yes."

I ran at him again. He sighed and put his hands back in his clay pouches again. He wouldn't be lenient again. He was creating another explosive bird. But I won't let him. He clearly wasn't fast enough for me, and I could be faster if I wanted to. But too fast and I'll miss details of his moves. For a higher speed I'd definitely need the Sharingan, and I didn't intend to use it. None of them knew I was an Uchiha, and I had no wish to tell them.

We clapsed our hands together at the same time. I knew he was expecting a Genjutsu, as I was execting another explosive. So I went for the tiger seal and prepared little fireballs. I filled my lungs with air.

"Katon, Hôsenka no Jutsu!"

I fired at him. Flames started licking his naked arms. He was forced to retreat. He threw the contents of his hands at me. Tiny white cicadas exploded in my flames, efficiently dispersing them. He used the power of the explosion to fasten his retreat, but I had been counting on that. Quickly than he expected, I spread a layer of chakra on the floor and glided on it towards him. I used that energy to land a kick on his recently healed calf.

He yelled in pain and cursed me. His hands went for a grab reflexively. I didn't avoid him completely and his fingers were tangled in my hair. He harshly threw me on his knee. I felt my lips burst and my teeth clatter. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I spat reddened saliva in his eyes, and he immediately let go to clean his eyes.

"Hey! That was totally dirty!" someone complained in the background.

"If you want to fight fair, then give up on being a ninja!" Jiraya-Sama replied.

I chuckled. I remembered Gekko-Senpai saying something similar in the fight I tried to get that burgundy ribbon from him and never succeeded.

Deidara-San went for a circular kick. I ducked under it and rolled out of his way. I threw a volley of shuriken at him. Invisible wire was tied to it. I'd voluntarily miss him so that he would be trapped. But he was smarter than this. He saw through everything, the false trajectories and the wired, even grabbing them and pulling. I couldn't resist. I knew there was his fist by the end of the way.

I yanked back to make him lose his focus, and he missed my face. I didn't manage to free myself from the wires. Deidara-San went to get clay from his pouch. I wouldn't avoid the explosion this time. But he wouldn't either. What was he playing at? I walked faster than he was pulling me and grabbed his wrists.

"You have lots of strength for a girl." He grunted.

"You'll be exploding us both doing that!" I hissed.

"Will I, mmh?" he taunted me.

He didn't feel the chakra when I sent some in his organism. He suddenly stops resisting me, and I am destabilised by his manoeuver. I tumble forward, just enough for him to strangle me with my own wires. I cannot break his grip.

"This is how you lose, Yanagi-San. Forfeit."

"I… am not… finished…. with you…" I managed, but couldn't loosen his grip.

I couldn't breathe. The edges of my vision field were turning black. I felt like I was about to puke. Then I remembered the chakra I had injected him and started the Genjutsu. It was a bad one, I knew, but it was enough for me to slice the wires when he took the time to break it.

He looked disappointed by my performance.

"I expected better from a so-called specialist." He said.

I didn't reply, only punching him in the face. But I had been slowed down and my rhythm was wrong. He avoided my hit, and his own fist went for my ribs. I grabbed it, and he felt the strength of the impact coursing through our arms. I wrung it until his shoulder was about to pop, forcing him to put a knee on the ground;

"You were saying?" I said.

"I'm saying you would have died twice if I had been serious."

"You would have never been able to land a hit if _I_ had been serious." I said to him.

I wasn't sure of that. In my mouth the approaching victory tasted like ashes. He was perfectly right. He would have exploded my head. He would have strangled me with my own wire. He totally would have. Would have it been so different, had I used all my aces? Kakashi-San was right. My life wouldn't last long if I kept my secret weapons secret for silly reasons.

Yet we both were exhausted. He was breathless, and so was I. Deidara-San had enough clay to make another bird. I twisted his arm a bit more. He gritted his teeth, but the pain didn't stop him. I quickly grabbed a kunai and pinned his creation as he opened his free hand. I'm practically sure the tip of my blade is grazing the mouth on his palm. He was determined to win, and so was I.

The clay bird is bigger than before. If it exploded, we would definitely be maimed or killed. But right there, there was only he and I.

Earlier that day I wondered about how easy it was for a ninja to kill an enemy. I had my answer. It was as easy as dying from one.

I feel the chakra coursing his clay bird. His hand trembled under the pressure. People starting shouting at us to stop this, but we were already beyond the limits of reason. There was only Deidara-San and I, the bomb between us and the second Genjutsu he had yet to see. He was right to doubt my Genjutsu performance earlier. Because he just unravelled the mental attack that would set me free, not the one that would make me win.

I didn't want to lose my edge. I kept holding his arm and send a knee into his face. He managed to twist enough to avoid the impact and I merely grazed his cheek. Then he pushed against me when my leg was up. I tumbled backwards and instinctively let go of his locked arm. He tossed the bomb at me.

I was falling on the ground. Once again the bomb flew at me. I would die if it exploded. Life was so easy to lose. Someone shouted my name. I felt very calm on this instant. Everything was crystal clear. Deidara joined his hands to make the bird explode. I'd let him try once.

"Katsu!" he shouted.

Nothing happened. I grinned. My Genjutsu did work. He was so persuaded to fill his bird with chakra, when he was merely wasting it away. I picked my kunai and the clay bird came with it. Blue flames suddenly engulfed it and I read fear in his grey eyes. I kept it burning as I walked to him, the clay hardening then crumbling to the ground.

"How did you…" he started.

I threw the kunai at him. He avoided it and the projectile sunk into a tree, hissing.

"You should give up. You don't have any clay left, and not much chakra."

"You're not faring well either." He replied.

He was right. But I could go for another assault. I ran at him at full speed and he had no time to escape far enough. My fist crashed into his jaw. He violently collided with the ground and skid for half a meter before stopping. I saw him try to stand. I stepped on his chest.

"You lost." I simply said before helping him up.

I would have died three times in this battle. In a real fight I would have died. Victory tasted like ashes in my mind as I came back to my teammates. I wasn't sure about the future anymore.

* * *

 _Helllow! Sorry about the late post :) I have finally found an internship and have much less time than before to write. So don't expect a weeky uptade. Plus i'm working on another little project, a FemNaru based on an old story I have written (in French)._

 _RadioPoisoning: I didn't notice I was making Yanagi's breats so much. They aren't that big, but it's more about the scar she has. Her heart was nearly missed, so she has a deep scar on her left breast, which bothers her a bit._

 _Girl-luvs-manga : I don't intend to have Deidara crush on her. Maybe I'll change my plans later though._

 _fuchsdeifeswuid : one day, Yanagi will understand why Neji willing to be her "rival" so much :) And Gai in fundoshi is a nightmare, I don't want to think about this anymore._

 _Guest : I placed the meeting with Deidara at that time because it was very interesting. His opinion on Yanagi will be rather good I think. She'll have his esteem for her strengh as a ninja, and she will reciprocate. About the fact that she is an Uchiha, he won't mind now, but he'll have a dilemma with Itachi's meeting :)_

 _Leila-chan : the discussion with Jiraya was hard to write. And I like Deidara quite a lot as well, he's one of my favourite Akatsuki._

 _YumiKnowsBest : I don't edit my text before uploading it, because I'm very lazy, hence the errors. thanks for you positive review :)_


	23. About the ongoing hiatus

_Hello, hello,_

 _Sorry for this long silence, and sorry I'm not updating Will o' the Wisp. I still have the inspiration for this story, but I have to write it all back because some characters are wrong, and some actions should be put aside in another story with all the idéas that don't sit well with the style of the story._

 _And in the meantime I've been working on this self-insert and thought the story was structured enough to start posting. I suggest you take a look at_ _This isn't a stage_ _, my new baby for the time being._

 _I think the reasons most of my stories are in hiatus right now is that I felt the need to post regularly, one chapter each week, even when I hadn't thought the ideas through and when I wasn't inspired. The whole ark with Ino and Yanagi is the proof._

 _For the curious, I'll now explain most of the changes that will be done in the story when it will be rewritten:_

\- Sasuke and Yanagi's relationship is wrong, because they should cling to each other more since they are the last of their clan

\- Even though she understands there is a deeper meaning behind Itachi's actions, Yanagi should be angry at him for being the murderer of her brother, and given their relationship at the time (she was clinging to Itachi to be remembered of her brother), she shouldn't be too rational about this event (despite her lack of emotions)

\- Yanagi's character is too rational. Granted it is fun when she has to rely on emotions, but I hink it's more like she contains her annoyance and hit it well because a ninja shouldn't show her emotions. But she should snap from time to time, for example when Neji gets too close.

\- Neji's character isn't well done. I have some extracts where he's getting a little bit to involved with Yanagi, and it doesn't sit well with the real character. In the end, Neji isn't really in love with Yanagi, but values her because she has the same position as him in her own clan (being a cousin to the main family) and yet isn't (she's almost a sister of Sasuke and she should be more protective of him).

\- Yanagi should hate physical contact and affection because it's unprofessional but actually yearn for it since she had been denied this affection when little. I'd totally see her cuddling with Sasuke in the intimacy of their house.

\- Her mental problems should provoke some more troubles like paranoïa and depression. As you had seen it she gets suspected by Kakashi for being an object of interest for Danzô. But no one suspects her mental health. I had first thought to have her psychiatrist to be involved with the ROOT, but I think it's better to have this person a loyal servant of the leaf. Yanagi's madness would become a leash for Konoha, since a deranged shinobi wouldn't be accepted on the field.

There are other changes I have to make but for now I'll let this story go to the back of my mind for a while.

Again sorry for this hiatus.


End file.
